


Green Heart

by duaba



Series: Cogan Reia [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-23 05:42:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 70
Words: 183,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8316043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duaba/pseuds/duaba
Summary: Rei might be a brilliant tactician but she's clueless when it comes to being a nakama, let alone a Straw Hat. She has a lot to learn when it comes to friendship and that angry swordsman is not helping anything!  (Follows the canon arcs in the New World starting from Punk Hazard. Read Zoro & The Mask for Rei's backstory)





	1. Ikuzo! Rei's First Straw Hat Adventure

It was not a good day to be sailing. The sea was dark and stormy but that didn't bother Cogan Reia, the newest crewmember of the Straw Hat Pirates. No, what bothered her was the thunder. It scared her but she tried very hard not to show it. She was pretty good at keeping her emotions in check.

She still secretly flinched, though, whenever thunder clapped especially loud. She was used to the sunny, summer weather of Beffi Island, where she had grown up as a Royal Tactician and Commander for King Tannenbay and the Beffi Army.

Rei, as she preferred to be called, was a twenty year old genius that had been hidden away from the eyes of the Navy due to her blood ties to high profile pirates. Her uncle was 'Red-Haired' Shanks and her father was once a crew member of Gol D. Roger. She even had to disguise her own gender to throw the Navy off her scent.

Through a random chain of events, Rei found herself being assisted by the Straw Hat Pirates to save her and her family, which ended up with her on the run from the Navy with a very respectable bounty of 60,000,000 bellis. She had been sailing on the Thousand Sunny with this motley crew for about a week now and she was experiencing, for the first time, bad weather on a pirate ship.

If there was a god, Rei was sure he wasn't too happy with her and her nakama since the waves thrashed violently around the Thousand Sunny and the rain poured down like a cold shower on it's passengers. She held tightly onto the railing on the side of the ship as the Sunny rode out a very high wave. For a moment, it seemed like they were flying.

The wind was strong, making her thick black cloak fly out behind her. It was too strong to keep her hood up and her braided red hair waved behind her in the wind like a thick flag. Thankfully, her white and gold mask kept her face shielded from the rain so her vision was clear... Well, as clear as the night sky would allow it to be.

She looked over at Roronoa Zoro, who stood on the rigging that connected the deck to the top of the mast. His one good eye glared back at her as the muscles in his left arm bulged from his strong grip on the rope, keeping him in place. _Pay attention and don't get yourself thrown overboard_ , the green haired swordsman seemed to say with his scowl.

Rei did not respond. Instead she moved on and roamed her eyes over the rest of the Straw Hats. Tony Tony Chopper was clutching the bottom of the same railing as Rei with all four of his limbs. 'Cyborg' Franky was at the helm, steering his prized ship. 'Cat Thief' Nami and 'Black Foot' Sanji were near the doorway to the kitchen. Nami stood in the rain wearing her pink raincoat while Sanji stood inside his domain, as the cook preferred to keep himself dry. Everyone else was spread along the lawn deck, trying not to lose their balance.

Their captain was leaning dangerously over the edge as he hung tightly to a rope ladder on the other side of the mast, near the top of the sails. "Go!" Monkey D. Luffy shouted excitedly as the wind whipped the sides of his red shirt behind him.

"Oy! Oy! Oy! Do you think this is the best decision?!" Usopp the sniper cried as the Sunny lost its momentum and they began to fall back down to the water, "EEEK! We're going to crash!"

As they landed with a giant splash, only a handful of the pirate crew stood their ground. Rei had to move her leg slightly to the left so that Chopper would roll into them, stopping the reindeer from tumbling any further down the deck, while Sanji helped Nami to her feet and Franky righted 'Soul King' Brook up after he toppled into the mast. Rei worried about the damage the Thousand Sunny was taking while she helped Chopper to his feet.

"Are you okay, Dr. Reindeer?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," Chopper whispered back as his eyes swirled with dizziness.

"Look! What's that?!" Nami cried as she pointed ahead, making Rei forget about the reindeer for a moment.

The Straw Hats turned to see where their navigator was referring to and their eyes widened at the sight.

"A red sea?!" Usopp shouted in disbelief.

Indeed, it did look like the water was red but as Rei looked further back, she noticed what had caused the color change.

"It's a volcano! Look! It's erupting," she called out.

An active volcano sat in the distance on the edge of an island. It was spewing out lava and ash high into the air and down into the water below. The Straw Hats watched with a mix of fear and awe as the red molten rock slid down the slopes of the mountain and remained burning even in the water.

Behind her mask, Rei's eyes sparkled both from the flickering flames of the water and out of excitement. She had read about volcanoes and she knew the geology behind it but to read something in a book and to experience it in real life were two very different things. The more time she spent out at sea with her nakama, the more Rei realized it.

"Let's go to that island!" Luffy immediately shouted, to the dismay of the rest of his crew.

"Wait a minute, Luffy!" Nami interrupted as she showed him her log pose, "None of the needles point to that island!"

"Impossible," Rei said as she ran over to look at the navigator's wrist.

To her surprise, Nami was right. All three of the needles were either pointing in another direction or spinning uncontrollably. Rei had never seen or heard of this phenomenon before.

"Finally, something the Know It All can't explain," Zoro quipped as he came down from his rope ladder.

Rei ignored the swordsman and looked back at the volcano. "Know It All" was Zoro's nickname for her ever

since they met and he seemed to be unable to call her by anything else.

"How it can not be pointing at anything?" Rei asked Nami, who shook her head in response.

"Let's go to the island!" Luffy shouted again, "The volcano looks like fun! Let's go!"

"We can't get any closer!" Nami yelled back, "The sea is on fire."

Rei went back to the railing and leaned over to look at the flames that blended with the water, mesmerized at the sight. She had never seen anything like it before. She rarely got to leave Beffi Island and when she did, she always stayed inside the ship to keep herself away from prying marine eyes. The fire flickered and

her green eyes shined in amazement.

She quickly pulled out a green notebook and made a note under her "Like" list.

"Flames in water," Zoro read out loud as he peeked over her shoulder.

Rei quickly closed the notebook and she turned to look at the swordsman. "Social protocol says

that it is rude to invade someone's personal space," she said flatly.

She had no friends growing up and limited social interaction so Rei's only source for etiquette and propriety were from outdated books she found around the house. Of course, that made her oblivious to common social signals and could often cause her to be in very awkward situations.

To Usopp's mischievous delight, he had discovered that if he told Rei that if something was socially acceptable to do, she'd do it. He had found someone almost as gullible as Chopper.

"How long is your list now?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow, ignoring her comment on decorum as he reached over to take her notebook.

Her list had grown considerably since they had left Beffi Island. She grew up without a normal childhood, with only survival and protecting her father as her goal. Because of that, she had no time to develop a dream of her own. Per Nico Robin's suggestion, she started to keep a list of things she liked and disliked to help her out on her journey of self-discovery with the Straw Hat Pirates.

Now, the green haired swordsman wanted to read her list and he was leaning incredibly close to her to get to it. Rei could have easily ducked away, as she was incredibly fast, but for some reason, she didn't want to.

She started to say something but then a sound of a man crying suddenly rang out. _Whew, saved by the bell_ , Rei thought as she darted away from the swordsman and ran towards the cries.

 _Damn it_ , Zoro cursed to himself as he watched her go, _Ever since Robin convinced her to write in that stupid notebook, it seems to be all she ever does._

Zoro had noticed over the last few days that every time the cook gave Rei a new dish to try, she'd flash him a smile and write it down in her stupid list. He wanted to know what else was on that list. It also annoyed him even further that he even cared in the first place, which fueled his negative feelings on the notebook even more. It was a vicious cycle.

He sighed and followed the rest of the crew towards the sound. He'll get that notebook one day. Yes, he'll also take great pleasure in cutting it up when he was finished reading it.

"Wahhhhhh!"

The male cries were getting louder and louder. It was coming from the transponder snail in the kitchen and the Straw Hats all clamored in to see who could possibly be calling them. The snail was bawling loudly with rivers of tears flowing out of its eyes.

"Hey, what's this?" Luffy asked baffled at the sight, "Does it have a stomach ache?"

"Idiot," Sanji said from the other side of the kitchen, "That's an emergency signal. Somebody's calling for help."

"Oh, let's pick it up then," Luffy said reaching over towards the receiver.

"Wait, Luffy!" Robin cried out, stopping the captain's hand in midair, "More than 50 percent of emergency signals are fake."

"Yes," Rei agreed, as she stood beside the raven hair beauty, "The Navy often uses it as a trap."

"If the line is tapped, they'll find out where we are," Robin added.

"I'm so glad you two are here," Usopp said as he put his arms around both women and sighed with relief, "Hey, Luffy you have to be careful-"

_Catcha._

But it was too late, their captain already took the receiver and was starting to speak.


	2. the Call

"Hello? My name is Monkey D. Luffy," the rubber man announced into the receiver, "I'm going to be the King of Pirates!"

A frightened Usopp skidded over to Luffy and knocked the captain over the head. "You picked up too fast and you said too much!"

Rei tilted her head and looked curiously around the room. It seemed like a good moment to laugh but then she caught the serious look on everyone else's face and stifled the urge. Only Usopp and Chopper seemed surprised by their captain's outburst. The rest of the crew, while expecting Luffy to pull a stunt like that, knew the severity of the situation and remained expressionless.

"Is this the boss? It's cold!" a man at the other end of the line shouted, "My colleagues are getting cut one after another. The samurai is going to kill us!"

Zoro's ears perked up and he stood up a little straighter. "Samurai?" he repeated softly as he leaned a little closer to the phone. _This could be interesting,_ he thought to himself.

"I'm on Punk Hazard!" the man cried out before a sound of a slashing blade came through the snail.

The man gasped and then the line was cut.

_Catcha._

"HE GOT KILLED!" Chopper and Usopp screamed.

The rest of the Straw Hats stared wide-eyed at the snail, digesting what they just heard. Rei's mind raced with possibilities but she remained calm. She had spent many years learning how to keep her emotions in control so that she can think rationally under any given situation.

"It could be an act," Rei said softly.

"Maybe it's all a compelling set-up to lure us in," Robin agreed, nodding her head.

"How level headed," Brook sang out to the two women as he strummed on his guitar.

"Speaking of samurai…" Zoro said, his one track mind only focusing on the subject he was interested in.

"The samurai," Brook explained, "Are the swordsmen from the Wado Kingdom. It is a country that is closed off from the World Government."

"The samurai there are strong, like the fighters on Beffi Island," Rei added, "The Navy can't do anything about them and the World Government chooses to leave them alone."

Rei watched Zoro run a finger along the black hilt of his Shusui. He never told her where his swords came from so she wondered if it had a connection to samurais.

Rei suddenly felt sad and slightly guilty as she realized she didn't know much about Zoro or the rest of the crew, even though they knew everything about her. Back on Beffi Island she got a quick rundown of each of their abilities and fighting style but beyond that, she didn't know much about her new friends.

It had been a whirlwind of events by the time she joined the crew, and even afterwards she was on bedrest for a couple of days to heal up from a nearly fatal wound. She figured maybe it takes a bit more time to get to know everyone but it still didn't stop her from feeling like a bad friend.

Zoro caught her staring at his swords and she quickly turned away. _What's with that look?_ Zoro wondered. She was wearing her mask, which acted like a security blanket to her, but he could always tell how she was feeling by her eyes. Zoro hoped she would never find out about her tell.

It was hard to imagine but she was just as unwilling to share her feelings as he was. It was quite frustrating for him but enlightening as he now realized why sometimes the other crew members got annoyed with him for doing the same thing.

"Samurai island?" Luffy said, his eyes lighting up with excitement, "So cool!"

"But he said Punk Hazard not Wano," Franky interjected, "So this can't be the samurai island, then."

"Punk Hazard must be _this_ island then," Rei said calmly and pointed out the door, "If the man used a baby transponder snail, the signal would've come from there so we would be in range."

The Straw Hats walked out one by one to the lawn deck as they viewed the island before them. Even though they were far back from the volcano, they could still feel the heat and smell the sulfur. Not knowing what lay ahead was dangerous enough but adding in an active volcano made the situation that much more precarious.

"Alright! Let's go help the guy!" Luffy said as he charged forward without any hesitancy and a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"How do we figure out who's going?" Sanji asked, resting a firm hand on the captain's shoulders to stop him from doing anything too impulsive this early in the day, "Since we don't know what is on the island, some of us should stay back."

"Franky, I'll take the Mini Merry," Luffy said ignoring the cook's question and shrugging his hand off.

"You definitely can't go by yourself," Nami interjected, "What will happen if you disappear on us? We'll need to draw straws."

She pulled out a handful of white straws, each cut at different lengths. "The ones with red tips at the end means that you're going with Luffy. Ready?"

Rei took one without hesitating, as she didn't really care one way or another. If she was able to explore the island, that would be great but if she stayed behind on the ship, it'll give her a chance to talk to the rest of the group and get to know them. Either way, it was something she looked forward to.

She drew a white straw. Not going.

She heard a wail as she looked over to see that Usopp's worst nightmare came to fruition and he had drawn a straw with the red tip, along with Zoro and Robin.

"Oy, Know It All," Zoro called out as he adjusted his swords, "Anything about this island we should know about?"

Rei knew he was trying to get her to admit she didn't know much about this island so she decided not to let him bait her.

"Yeah. It's pretty dangerous and...," she said, hiding her smile behind her mask, "Someone could get lost."

He gritted his teeth while the rest of the Straw Hats burst into laughter.

Rei folded her arms and her tone became serious as she said something that did bug her about this island, "Actually, I do remember reading some Naval reports mentioning Punk Hazard. I don't remember the details but if this is indeed Punk Hazard, this island is involved with the Navy somehow."

"Then it's a trap!" Usopp cried.

Rei said, "Usually I would agree but this island has an active volcano. It would be highly risky even for the Navy to stay here for too long. Besides, I doubt anything I say now would stop our captain."

She looked over and saw that Sanji was already handing Luffy their lunches for the road and Nami was making a road of clouds using her weapon.

From the side of the ship, Franky pulled out a mini-ship with a sheep as the figurehead.

"What is that?" Rei asked, as it was the first time she had seen it.

She knew about the various docking systems Franky, the shipwright, had put in place but she had yet to see what was actually docked in each compartment. She knew one of them was a submarine but this was clearly not it.

"It's the super Mini-Merry," Franky said, "I modeled it after Usopp's previous ship!"

"Your previous ship?" Rei asked turning to Usopp.

"Yeah, the Going Merry," Usopp said proudly as he thought fondly of his beloved ship, "It was a caravel from the island I grew up on."

Rei bit her lip, feeling even worse for not knowing something so basic about her friend. She looked around the crew and watched as they climbed aboard the Mini-Merry.

Zoro caught her eyes again and she hurriedly looked away. She didn't want to get into it with him, especially now of all times in front of everyone while they were gearing for an adventure.

 _Something is definitely bothering her_ , Zoro thought as he took a seat, _Maybe I should check it out._

"Oy, guys-," he started to say but then Luffy's foot slammed into the pedal and the Mini-Merry lurched forward. Zoro sighed and looked behind at the masked girl one last time before he moved his eyes ahead. He folded his arms across his chest. _Tch_ , he thought, _That girl is worrisome._

Rei stared at the Mini-Merry as it sailed along the bridge of clouds. She thought about the passengers on there and what she knew of them. When the small ship was out of view, the tactician turned to the crew members that had remained.

"Hey, you guys," Rei said hesitantly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Rei-chwan~" Sanji sang as he came over to Rei's side.

"Are you okay, Rei?" Nami asked as she leaned back against the railing with her elbows.

"Yes, I'm fine," Rei said awkwardly, "I'm just wondering...if you could tell me a little about yourself. If it's not too much trouble, I mean."

If her mask was off, they would be able to tell that she was blushing furiously. She stared down at her feet, unsure of how her friends would react to her request.

"I just feel like," Rei continued, "You guys know everything about me and I want to know everything about you. I'm sorry if I haven't asked you guys this earlier. I just never had friends before."

She was blabbering and she knew it but she just couldn't stop the words from flowing out. _Please don't hate me,_ she thought as she continued to stare at the ground.

Suddenly, she found Nami's arm around her shoulder and she looked over at her roommate. Nami gave her a big smile, "Of course! What do you want to know?"

"Aw! Nami-san, you're so sweet and considerate!" Sanji said as he raced into the kitchen, "I'll make something refreshing for you to cool down while you and Rei-chwan chat."

"Yay! Snack time!" cheered Brook, Franky, and Chopper.

"You guys want it too?!" Sanji yelled in surprise.


	3. Chapter 3

"So Usopp is the son of Yasopp?" Rei asked, surprised that she hadn't made the connection, "I wonder why Usopp never mentioned that he knew someone on my uncle's ship."

She was sitting with Nami, Chopper, Franky, and Brook around the lawn deck, enjoying a refreshing dessert from the creative hands of Sanji. Her mask lay at her side since eating anything would require it to be removed. She smiled against her chilled spoon. This icy treat definitely helped beat the heat and Rei made a mental note to ask Sanji what the dessert was called so she can write it in her notebook. Sanji was back in the kitchen whipping up another round as the rest of them chatted about the sniper's past history.

"I didn't know that either," Brook said, "I wonder why Usopp-san didn't say anything when you mentioned Shanks-san was on the island."

"He probably felt like it wasn't appropriate," Nami guessed, "Usopp doesn't act like it but he is pretty intuitive."

Rei looked over at Brook in surprise, "You didn't know about Usopp's past either?"

"Rei-san, I was the last one to join this group before you," Brook explained, "So there are some stuff I don't know about either. Why don't we learn about it together?"

Rei smiled, feeling grateful to the skeleton, "Okay. I'd like that."

"Yohohoho," Brook laughed, "Now is there anything you want to know about me?"

"Laboon!" Chopper shouted without hesitation, "Tell us stories about Laboon!"

"Hey, you guys," Nami interrupted with a frown on her face as she stared out into the distance. She paused for a moment and then pointed up at the clouds that loomed over the middle of the burning island, "Do you notice the arctic pattern over there?"

"I can't really tell," Rei admitted, "Weather isn't my strong suit."

"It all just looks like clouds to me, Nami-san," Brook stated.

"It looks like the weather is divided on this island," Nami observed and folded her arms over her chest, "One half is hot while the other half is freezing. I wonder how that could be?"

"It's like Beffi Island where it's split in half!" Chopper said looking up at Rei.

"But Beffi Island doesn't have two different climates," Rei replied.

Just then she realized why "Punk Hazard" sounded familiar and why it was mentioned in a Naval report. She started to say something to the group but then a weird odor caught her attention. Instinctively, she flicked her mask over her face and her eyes darted around deck. She activated her Observation Haki and she stiffened. _We're not alone._

"Rei? What's wrong?" Nami asked faintly. She had noticed that their tactician was on edge.

Rei glanced up at the navigator just as Nami's eyelids drooped down and she collapsed to the floor along with Brook, Franky, and Chopper.

 _Sleeping gas!,_ Rei thought as she began to feel faint too, _My mask must be blocking out some of it which buys me more time… but what do I do?_

She started to head for the kitchen to warn Sanji but then she saw behind her that there were a couple of yellow suited men with their own gas masks on that had already climbed on board.

 _I need to stay close and see what they're up to!,_ she thought.

She looked around to see where there was a good place to hide. She noticed that Nami had left the room to the girls' quarters opened so she hurried upstairs and slipped into the room without detection.

Rei's superhuman speed had earned her the nickname of 'Red Ghost' Rei for her bounty poster. The "Red" part of the name was in reference to her red hair that left a red streak whenever she darted around.

Rei was safely in the girls' room above the gas and away from its effects, although she did breathe some in earlier so she was feeling a bit light headed. She stayed hidden as she watched the men in yellow suits take over the ship. They carried tanks of oxygen with them and on the corner of each tank were the letters "PH".

 _Must stand for Punk Hazard_ , she thought as she watched them drag Sanji out from the kitchen.

A couple of them started to make their way upstairs. Rei reached into the back pockets of her utility belt that she wore hidden under her cloak. Her hands tightened around her daggers that were attached to chains made out of Sea Prism Stones, her weapon of choice. If they came any closer or if they made any moves to harm her friends, she was prepared to attack.

"Guys, we need to take this ship to the other side of the island," one of them called out from the lawn deck, "Come back and help me steer this."

The two who were making their way up the stairs stopped and changed their direction. Rei let out a small sigh of relief. _If they were going to kill us, they would've done so already,_ she thought, _So I better lay low and see what is going on._

She sat down on the floor as the effects of the sleeping gas started to take its toll on her. She shut her eyes for a minute. _It's going to take a while for them to take us to the other side of the island anyways,_ she thought.

Rei fell into a deep sleep as the Thousand Sunny was taken over by the men in the yellow protection suits and gas masks. She didn't even stir when it docked and some of the men left the ship, taking her nakama with them.

She woke up to the sounds of gunshots. _Oh no,_ she thought with horror, _I was more affected by the sleeping gas than I thought._

She pulled out her chain weapons and flung open the door just in time to see the men in yellow suits holding guns and looking at Brook, who had his sword out in one hand and his cane in the other. The intruders' backs were turned towards Rei so they didn't spot her there.

Rei noticed that snow was falling down onto the lawn deck and there was more light shining down than where they were previously. She couldn't help but put a palm out to catch a drifting snowflake. She watched it delicately land on her skin before slowly melting away into nothing. _Snow…_

"Boy...if you had something to say," Brook called out to the intruders and snapping Rei from her thoughts, "I would've listened to it over a cup of tea or something..."

The intruders pointed their guns at the skeleton's head.

"...But I've cut you already." Brook said as he sheathed his sword back into it's cane, "Three pace hum...notch slash."

The men fell as they felt the delay in Brook's cut.

"Brook!" Rei said as she ran down the stairs, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Rei-san!" he shouted in delight, "What are you doing here?"

"Where's everyone else?" Rei asked as she looked around her. She knew they were on the other side of Punk Hazard, where it was snowy and cold. Mountains and mountains of snow piled high into the sky. It was the exact opposite to the active volcano and the sweltering heat on the burning side of the island. Nami was right. The island was split into two different clients and the crew was separated before Rei could explain to Nami why that was.

"I don't know," Brook said shaking his head sadly, "By the time I woke up they were all gone. How come they didn't take you?"

"I hid upstairs. I guess they didn't come up," Rei said.

She looked around at the intruders on the floor, "Do you have an idea of who these guys are?"

"I cut them before I could ask," Brook said still shaking his head.

"We need to call the others and let them know," Rei said racing into the kitchen to get to the transponder snail.

 _Please pick up, someone,_ she thought as she connected the snail.

"Purupurupurupuru….Catcha."

"Hello?" came Usopp's voice.

"It's us! Rei-san and Brook!" Brook shouted.

"Usopp! We're on the other side of the island and there's snow and ice outside!" Rei reported at the same time.

"What?!" Usopp cried, "What are you two doing over there?"

"Our ship got taken over by intruders using sleeping gas," Rei explained, "And they've taken Nami and the others."

"We don't know where they are," Brook cried.

"What?! You can't find Nami and the others?" Usopp shrieked, "And you two are in a place of snow and ice by yourselves?!"

"Yohohoho," Brook laughed, "I was as surprised as a bone in thunder! Or a duck in thunder? Or was it, a duck in a bone? I can't remember. Yohohoho."

"Yes, we're on the other side of the island," Rei said, directing the receiver towards her and away from the joking skeleton.

"Give me that!" Zoro shouted over the snail, followed by some rustling, "Rei, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here," Rei said.

"You're okay?" Zoro asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said.

"I'm fine too, Zoro-san!" Brook chimed in.

"Idiot! You attract just as much trouble as Luffy!" Zoro shouted through the phone, "If they had taken you and Brook too, how the hell do you expect us to find you guys?"

"But they didn't and now we're here," Rei said, "You have nothing to worry about. Brook and I are strong fighters."

"What about your wound?" Zoro snapped.

Rei could practically see the angry look on his face. He was referring to the injury that occurred back in Beffi Island that landed her with days of bedrest, even when she got onboard the Sunny. A chain had stabbed through her chest. She had pushed Zoro out of the way, saving his life, and blocked the chain with her own body. It was mostly healed now, with minimal scarring, thanks to Chopper's excellent medical skills. Rei didn't see what the big deal was.

"I'm fine," she replied calmly.

"Rei?" Robin's voice said over the phone.

"Yes," she said.

"How come they didn't take you or Brook?" Robin asked.

"I was hiding upstairs, which I guess they didn't bother to check, and they probably thought Brook was dead since he was a skeleton," Rei said.

"Are you guys outside? Do you see any buildings or people?" Robin asked.

"Let me check," Brook said as he ran outside and then back into the kitchen, "Yes, in fact, there is a building. A very impressive one. It's like you are here seeing it for yourself, Robin-san. How'd you know?"

"They must've taken Nami and the others somewhere so I figured a building was close by or at least within eyesight," Robin said, "We'll head over there so can you two wait for us?"

"Yes," Rei replied, "We'll stay here."

"Don't you dare move!" Zoro growled over the phone.

"Roger," Brook said as they hung up the phone.

Brook shivered a little as a cold wind blew into the kitchen and went through his ribs. It wasn't the cold that got to him, just the idea of wind being able to blow through him was a chilling thought, even to him.

"Brook," Rei said noticing her friend's discomfort, "Want to have some tea while you tell me about Laboon?"

"I would very much like that, Rei-san," Brook said with a perpetual smile and then he realized something, "Oh, is this your first time seeing snow?"

"Yes," Rei said, "It never snows on Beffi Island."

"Do you want me to show how to make a snowman?" Brook asked.

"What about Nami and the others?" Rei asked.

"Robin and Zoro already told us not to do anything until they get here so we might as well kill some time," Brook said, "Ah! Although, I'm already dead so I can't be killed anymore. Yohohohoho!"


	4. Torso

"Snow, snow, I love snow!" Brook sang as he rolled up another ball of snow towards Rei to make the base for a snowman.

They had made 5 snowmen already and were trying to make one to represent each of their nakama. Rei put a frown on one of the taller snowmen and then drew a line down one of the eyes as a finishing touch. "There, Zoro is done."

Brook took a look at the scowling snowman and broke into peals of laughter. "Yohohoho! That's very good Rei-san."

"Thanks for teaching me, Brook," Rei said to the skeleton as she rubbed her hands together for warmth, "I've never played in snow before."

"Are you cold, Rei-san?" Brook asked.

"Just my hands. My cloak is thick enough to keep me covered, though. How about you?" she replied.

"Chilled to the bone," Brook answered with a laugh, "Yohohohoho!"

Suddenly, Rei quickly stepped to the side as a sword sliced through the snowman she was in the process of making. The snow man with the curled eyebrows split into two and fell to the side.

Brook and Rei turned to face their opponent and were shocked to find just a torso and arms, with no head or legs, pointing a sword at them. It had on an orange shirt with black and white stripes on one side.

"WHAT?!" they cried as they avoided his speedy slashes.

"Talon Grip!" Rei cried as she swiftly pulled out her chain weapon from her utility belt and swung it around the assailant's arm that was gripping the sword.

"What is this?" she shouted as the arm twisted around, attempting to free itself.

"I don't know, some sort of ghost?" Brook cried.

"What do we do?" Rei asked the skeleton as she tried to dodge his flailing blade.

"You're the genius!" Brook said, "You tell me!"

"Okay, we need to run," Rei said holding onto her chain tightly as not to free the arm from attacking them again.

"What?!" Brook cried.

"We don't know if we can kill it!" Rei said.

"But Zoro said to stay-" Brook said.

"Zoro's not here!" Rei interrupted, "Do you want to stay with this thing?"

"No," Brook admitted, "It's gross."

"So gross!" Rei shouted in agreement.

Suddenly the torso's second arm grabbed another sword and started to swing it towards Rei, which Brook dashed in between Rei and the torso to block with the two swords.

"Two sword style?!" they cried as the torso unleashed more attacks.

"We need to go, now!" Rei said as she unwound her chain and grabbed Brook by the arm.

Her red hair braid waved in the air behind her as her hood fell back from the wind gust. She and Brook ran as far and as fast as they could from the mysterious torso.

They stopped when they reached the edge of a snowy cliff that overlooked a lake. Rei figured this is probably the middle of the island. She could see the burning side where they originally were.

Rei and Brook gasped for breath. They caught each other's eyes and then burst into laughter.

"What was that?" Rei panted.

"I don't know!" Brook said, "Just because I came back from the dead, doesn't mean I know about the unliving."

That sent them to another spell of laughter.

"Wait!" Rei said instantly becoming serious as she sensed something coming with her Observational Haki.

"Yes, I feel it too," Brook said as they readied themselves for another attack from the torso.

Much to their surprise they saw the torso rolling past as it was caught in a huge ball of snow. His two swords were sticking out from either side of the snowball, spinning violently, as it raced towards the lake.

Brook and Rei looked at each other again and burst into another round of laughter.

Rei finally got ahold of herself after a while and examined her surroundings. With the ice in one side and with the fire in the other, she confirmed what she already suspected.

"Brook," she said solemnly, "I know where we are."

Brook, sensing Rei's tone and her body language, immediately got serious as well. "Do you recognize this place, Rei-san?"

"I've never been here before but I read about this place in a Naval report because this is where former Admiral Aokiji and Admiral Akainu fought for the title of Fleet Admiral," she said pointing at the two sides of the island, "Their devil fruit powers produced this extreme climate after 10 days of fighting."

"No way," Brook gasped as he looked around him, "All this from the devil fruits?"

Gun shots rang out in the distance and Rei ran farther towards the edge for a better look. She saw a few fires and explosions down below along the lake, drawing her eyes to the source. Then, she spotted what the explosions were targeting.

"Brook! It's Luffy and them!" she gasped as she pointed at the guys for Brook to see. Indeed, in the middle of the lake swam Usopp and Zoro, who were both holding up Robin and Luffy above the water.

"We need to go help them!" Brook shouted as him and Rei started to run down towards the lake.

More shots rang out in the distance and Rei hoped that she'd be able to make it in time. She couldn't run down at top speed as she didn't want to risk slipping in the snow and falling over the edge.

"Whose shooting at them?" Brook asked as they ran.

"I have no idea," Rei answered, "But we need to stop them."


	5. Get Their Coats

By the time Rei and Brook reached the lake, they could see that the group of attackers were about to fire another round at their friends. As they got closer, Rei realized that the men were quite strange. Their top halves were human but their legs resembled animal legs. There were zebra legs, horse legs, and even goat legs. It was very odd but after the flailing torso, Rei found it hard to be surprised by anything on this island.

Brook swiftly pulled his sword out of his cane and charged through the line of gunmen, freezing their gun barrels using the cold wind from the underworld. When the men pulled the trigger, their ammunition blew up in the barrel and into their faces.

Rei spotted a very large man with three brown braids tied under his chin. He stood out from the crowd because he was at least twice the size of a normal human. He sported a very obnoxious captain's hat and what made him extremely odd was that he had alligator legs. With his stature and his strange legs, he resembled a small dinosaur. Rei recognized his face as Captain Brownbeard from a wanted poster in her past Naval Reports. However, she didn't remember it mentioning anything about his legs.

"Who are you, skull mask?" Brownbeard asked Brook.

"He's not the one with the mask, you idiot!" Rei called as she ran towards him.

"TWIN TALONS GRIP!" she cried as she threw out both her dagger chains and wrapped it around several of Brownbeard's henchmen.

She swung them around and released them from her hold. She threw them into the far distance behind her without looking back. She kept running forward and stopped only when she reached Brook's side.

"Our names are not worth mentioning," Brook said casually, "It's Brook and Rei."

"Why did you mention it then?" both Rei and Brownbeard asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm a skeleton that came back from the dead and some people see her as a ghost..." Brook started to say.

"Huh?" Brownbeard asked.

"And we put our life in the hands of the Straw Hat captain!" Brook shouted as he drew his sword, "People call me Soul King and this is 'Red Ghost' Rei!"

"I don't think they need to know that, Brook," Rei said as she tightened her grip on her chains.

The skeleton and the red head shared a look. Almost simultaneously, they both ran forward and started to attack the rest of Brownbeard's group.

"It's too late!" Brownbeard shouted as he watched his men fall one by one, "Your friends are already dead in the shark-infested frozen water."

Rei and Brook stopped mid-attack and glanced over at the lake. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Robin were nowhere to be found.

 _Shit,_ Rei thought as she threw several men out of her pathway to the lake. She ran towards the shore. "ZORO!" Rei shouted, hoping he would hear her, "Luffy! Robin! Usopp!"

Suddenly, dark shadows appeared on top of one of the protruding icebergs from the lake. It was a rather large iceberg that stood 10 feet tall. Rei's breath caught in her throat as she focused her eyes to see the figure more clearly.

"Nice try, you part-human-part-animals," Zoro's voice called out. He was trying to sound as menacing as he can while shivering, "But we're stronger than that."

"I'm so glad you guys are okay!" Brook shouted at him as Usopp, Robin, and Luffy climbed on top of the iceberg next to Zoro.

"I think 'okay' might be stretching it, Brook," Rei murmured as she looked at the four Straw hats. The four had climbed out of an icy lake and were now in the freezing winds. Rei could see that icicles were starting to form around them.

"We got chased by something weird and came all the way over here," Brook called to their friends.

"Good timing, guys!" Robin called back.

"Idiot! I told you to stay on the ship and not to move!" Zoro yelled, directing it at Rei.

It was bad enough that he was freezing right down to the bone but he also had to do it while dragging the rubber idiot, who was useless in sea water. Zoro was in a foul mood and it was only made worse when he saw the masked girl standing there in broad daylight in front of a hundred men, who were armed to the teeth.

"G-g-g-g-guys," Usopp said shivering, "Can we please get their coats so we can get warm?"

At the mention of the word 'coats', Luffy, Robin, and Zoro zoned in on the men that lay before them. It was like a shopping catalogue of winter wear and it was all on final sale of 100% off. The clothes were theirs for the taking.

Rei noticed that her captain and her friends started to get a crazed look in their eyes. Before she could say anything, she heard a gasp and turned to Brownbeard. He had finally recognized Luffy's straw hat and was running away in fear along with his henchmen. "It's Straw Hat Luffy!" he cried, "Run!"

It was too late for Brownbeard and his men. He had started the fight but now the Straw Hats were ending it. "GET THEIR COATS!" Luffy yelled as he extended his arm over the lake and flew over towards the crowd, knocking over a few of them.

Two ginormous hands sprouted from the ground as Robin used it to collect a pink coat from a female henchmen and Zoro sprang forward, slashing whoever got in his way, as he had set his eyes on a brown coat that looked especially warm.

"Should we just stay out of their way?" Rei asked Brook.

"They're in better shape than I thought," the Soul King replied with a smile.


	6. Familiar Faces

Rei kind of felt bad for Brownbeard. They had beat up his men, took their coats, and left them freezing in the snow. To make matters worse, they sort of hijacked Brownbeard himself and were now riding on him as he ran towards the building Rei and Brook saw earlier on the ship.

"You cruelly robbed us of all we had, you cheap muggers," Brownbeard complained as he trudged through the snow.

"Oy! Don't give us a bad name," Zoro replied, "You guys attacked us first!"

They all sat on his back, while Luffy sat on his shoulder and cheered Brownbeard on. They were all wrapped up in warm jackets now, including Brook who couldn't feel the cold.

"I'm so happy to see you all again so I wanted to share in the feeling of cold!" he cried, "Although, I did have fun with Rei-chan before that."

"We were building snowmen," Rei said with a smile.

She didn't steal a coat as her black cloak was enough. She did however steal some white mittens and earmuffs just in case. She had taken off her mask and hung it at the side on her utility belt as the snow made it slightly hard to see out when the snow stuck to the eye holes.

"I have a question," Rei said to Robin as she pointed at her captain, "Why does Luffy have an extra pair of legs stuck to him?"

Indeed, Luffy looked like a very odd centaur as he had a second pair of legs sticking out from his back. It was wearing sandals and what looked to be a skirt with black and white stripes on one side and orange on the other.

"It's a long story," Robin replied with a smile.

Rei recognized the pattern on Luffy's new pants and looked over at Brook, "Do you think this has something to do with the weird torso thing we saw?"

Zoro scowled at Rei, interrupting Brook from responding. "I told you to stay on the ship!" the swordsman growled.

"But the weird torso thing attacked us, Zoro-san," Brook jumped in to Rei's defense. "We had no choice!"

"It's a good thing we didn't stay," Rei pointed out, "Or else we wouldn't be there to stop Brownbeard in time."

That seemed to make Zoro frown even more, which Rei didn't even know was possible so she tried to change the subject to lighten the mood.

"I really like building snowmen," she said, "It's a lot of fun. Brook showed me how."

"Chopper grew up on a winter island," Robin mused, "He might be able to teach you other snow games."

"Really?" Rei said excitedly, "Oh that would be fun. I do like making snowmen though. I don't think any other snow game would be as fun."

"Are you going to write it in your notebook?" Robin prompted.

"Oh yeah! I should," Rei said as she pulled out her green notebook and read out loud as she wrote, "Building snowmen with Brook."

"Yohohoho," Brook laughed, "It's an honor to appear on your list, Rei-chan."

"Enough with the list," Zoro growled as he shot another angry look at Rei, "It's childish!"

Rei felt stung by Zoro's comment and she hesitantly tucked the notebook back under her cloak. She looked over at Robin, who gave her a supportive smile.

Zoro noticed the hurt in Rei's eyes and quickly backtracked. "This is not the time. We need to get to the building fast and find the others."

"You're right," Rei said quietly, "I got too carried away. I'm sorry."

"Zoro-" Usopp started to say but Zoro gave his friend a look that made him think twice about finishing his sentence.

"I feel bad for Nami and them, getting abducted in their clothes," Robin said, trying to divert the attention away from the pair, "I hope they don't get frostbite and lose their limbs."

"Geez Robin!" Usopp shouted, "Don't share those gruesome concerns!"

"If they did, it would be their fingers and toes first," Rei added in support to Robin and falling for her ploy, "That's a pretty high possibility."

"Not you too, Rei!" Usopp cried tearfully.

"Guys, what is that?" Robin said pointing ahead and stopping Rei from stating a statistic regarding hypothermia and loss of limbs.

They all turned to look what appeared to be the front part of a ship high up in the air. It was upside down and sliced clean through. It was attached to large slabs of rock but the rest of the ship was nowhere to be seen.

"Is it a piece of artwork?" Usopp guessed.

"It wasn't there before," Brook said.

"It looks like a warship," Rei said, "Do you think the Navy is here?"

"Hey, somebody's there!" Usopp shouted as he spotted a stranger passing by.

He was a slim man, wearing a large white fur hat that covered his black hair. He had black sideburns poking out from the under the hat and also a goatee on his chin. He wore a long black coat and carried a nodachi.

"Hey, I know him!" Luffy cried out as he waved excitedly to the man, "Hey! Hey! It's you! Do you remember me? Thank you for your help the other day!"

As the man turned towards the Straw Hats, Rei recognized the man as well. "Law," she said under her breath.

"He's the man we met at Saobody in the Human Shop," Zoro said, overhearing Rei's murmur, "Know It All, how do you know him?"

"It's nothing," she replied softly much to Zoro's annoyance.

"His name is Trafalgar Law," Robin said to Usopp and Zoro.

"Yeah! Tra-guy!" Luffy said as he jumped down from Brownbeard's back, "He helped me get away from the battlefield and treated my wounds."

"Yes, I've heard he's quite the doctor," Rei said.

"Yeah, he saved my life!" Luffy agreed as he ran off to greet his friend.

"So you made it, Straw Hat-ya," Law said as Luffy approached him, "But you don't have to thank me for that. I just did it on the spur of the moment. We are both pirates. Don't forget that."

"Yeah," Luffy said with a grin, "We're all enemies when it comes to the fight for the One Piece."

"Hey! There's a navy guy on the ground!" Usopp called out to Luffy, interrupting the two from catching up.

Rei's eyes widened as she, and the rest of the group, recognized the fallen marine. "Vice Admiral Smoker? What is the G5 marines doing here?" she asked in surprise She heard shouts coming from behind Smoker and then a large group of marines came into view. They were lead by a woman Rei had never seen before. She had chin-length dark hair and wore a colorful short sleeved shirt buttoned to the top. At the top of her head sat red framed glasses and hung by her side was a katana.

"That woman," Zoro said in surprise.

"Do you know her?" Rei asked.

"It's nothing," he said back.

Rei wasn't sure why but Zoro's response did not sit well with her. She had an uneasy feeling that she couldn't describe. She wanted to ask Zoro more but it was not the time. She looked on silently as the woman ran towards Smoker.

Zoro smirked secretly to himself as he noticed that his answer bothered Rei just as much as hers did to him.

"Robin," Rei said quietly, "I recognize Smoker from old naval reports but who is that besides him?"

"That's Captain Tashigi," Robin explained, "She's the right hand woman to Smoker."

"It's Smokey and his clan!" Luffy yelled happily waving to them, "Hey guys!"

The woman held Smoker in his lap and that's when Rei saw that his heart was missing from his chest. There was a black square where his heart should've been.

 _He couldn't have_ , she thought in shock. She shot a look at Law, puzzled at what his purpose was on this island.

Zoro caught Rei looking at Trafalgar Law and he tightened his grip on his sword. _How does Rei know that guy?_ , he thought, _How does she even know other pirates_?

Suddenly, Tashigi drew her sword and started running towards Law. It redirected Rei's focus back to her.

"How dare you! How dare you!" she cried as she lunged at the Warlord.

"Room!" Law said calmly as a transparent blue dome appeared and expanded around him and Tashigi. He poked his sword out towards Tashigi and then towards Smoker. A pink heart emerged from each of their body.

"Shambles," Law said as the two hearts switched places and receded into their new host. Tashigi collapsed on the ground, only a few feet away from Smoker.

"Tashigi-chan!" the marines cried as they rushed towards their fallen leaders.

"What is that guy trying to do?" Zoro wondered out loud.

"He's switching them. It's kind of like swapping souls. The woman is going to wake up in Smoker's body and vice versa," Rei said without taking her eyes off of Law.

"How do you know that?" Zoro asked.

"I'm a genius," Rei said

Zoro gritted teeth. It was her way of avoiding a long winded explanation of how she was able to figure out something or know something other people didn't. He knew she did it to spare people the details but it still grated his nerves whenever she said that.

"Oy, Luffy!" Zoro called out, having had enough, "We need to go!"

"It's getting dangerous!" Usopp added.

"Go around to the back of the laboratory," Law instructed the Straw Hat as Luffy jumped back onto Brownbeard with his friends, "What you're looking for is there. We'll see each other again soon. We both have something we want to take back."

As Brownbeard started to run, Luffy looked back at the scene, "I wonder if Tra-guy beat Smokey."

"He took his heart," Rei said quietly, as she tried to find the logic in the random scene they just witnessed.

"What?!" The Straw Hats cried.

"Is Smoker dead?" Usopp asked.

"No, Smoker is still alive. It's Law's devil fruit power," she explained, "He ate the Op Op Fruit where he can create a room and have complete control over the placement and orientation of the objects inside of it. That's how he's able to take Smoker's heart out without actually killing him."

"How do you know about his powers?" Zoro asked suspiciously, "And don't say because you're a genius!"

"He's one of the Shichibukai," she said surprised at his tone, "As the Royal Tactician, it was my duty to know as much as I can about the Seven Warlords."

"He's a what?!" the Straw Hats cried.


	7. Reunion

"Hey! I see them!" Usopp cried. He and Luffy sat on the shoulders of Brownbeard as they made their way to the back of the laboratory, per Law's instructions.

Robin, Zoro, Rei, and Brook, who remained seated on Brownbeard's back, peaked over Usopp and Luffy's shoulders and saw what Usopp was referring to. They spotted the rest of their friends. Nami, Chopper, Franky, and Sanji were standing there with warm black coats on and behind them were a group of children of various sizes.

"There you are!" Luffy yelled waving his arms excitedly at his nakama, "Guys!"

Brook climbed up to get the same view as Usopp and Luffy. "Hey!" the three of them shouted.

"Are you guys okay? Yohohoho!" Brook called out to them.

"Why are they holding a severed head?" Rei asked.

"Why is that jackass cook jumping around?" Zoro scoffed at the same time.

Robin and Rei turned to see what he was looking at and the swordsman was right. Sanji was not acting like himself. He was dancing and wiggling his arms as if they were boneless.

"Did he go nuts from the cold?" Zoro guessed with a hopeful tone in his voice.

Rei recognized the arm movements and she put back on her mask to hide her smile. _They'll figure it out eventually_ , she thought.

Nami had started to unbutton her coat to reveal her cleavage and she stared down at it with drool coming out of her mouth. A shadow loomed over her and the Straw Hats watched in shock as Franky viciously punched her to the ground, rendering her unconscious.

 _Oh no! Law got to Nami and Franky too!,_ Rei thought with a gasp.

"What is going on?!" Luffy cried, "Franky! Don't do that!"

Rei then examined the group of children standing behind their friends. Each of them wore a green jacket and matching mittens. They were all around the same age but they were in various sizes. Some were as tall as trees. Rei figured she'll find out more about the children sooner or later but they definitely shouldn't leave them out in the cold.

"Luffy, We need to find a place to hide from the snow," Rei called out to her captain, "They have children with them! We need to get them to someplace away from the wind!"

"Why are there giant children?" Usopp asked to no one in particular.

"There's an abandoned building over there," Robin said pointing towards the side, "Some of it looks buried in the snow but there's an opening that we can go in from."

"Yosh!" Luffy cried, pumping his fists in the air, "Everybody! To the building!"

* * *

The Straw Hats spread out around the abandoned building. Zoro sat on a giant metal pipe in the center of the room. Usopp sat on the floor with Brook. The body of Nami was lying down on the floor, still unconscious from the blow to the head from Franky. Sanji leaned over the body of Nami with concern in his eyes, while Luffy was busy playing with the kids. Robin had tied Brownbeard to a pillar near the back using some chains she found. Rei stood in the back silently, contemplating their situation.

"This building has a similar style as the other one," Chopper said in Franky's voice as they made themselves comfortable in the warehouse.

"You mean the building where the masked gas men took you to?" Rei asked.

"Yes, that's where we found the children and they escaped with us," Franky said in Nami's voice.

"But this one is crumbling," Robin commented and stared up at the ceiling, "It looks like this went through a huge explosion or something."

"It's fine for now as long as it keeps us away from the outside," Rei said

Suddenly a cry rang out through the abandoned warehouse and they turned to see that the severed head was attached to the hind legs that were previously on Luffy. "I got my legs back!" the head cried happily.

The head had a black beard and a topknot. _He must be a samurai,_ Rei thought.

"How surreal," Robin commented coolly as she stood with her hand on her hip.

Nami woke up and she propped herself up with her arms. "I had the weirdest dream," she groaned in Sanji's voice, "I was crossing a river of boobs."

"It's not the time for that!" Sanji with Chopper's voice yelled.

"What is going on?" Luffy asked, scratching his head.

Rei sighed, "Law has the ability to switch people out of their bodies. I guess he switched the four of them around so now they're in each other's bodies."

"So who is who?" Usopp asked, "Can we do a roll call?"

"I'm Franky!" said Chopper, "Don't come to me when you get wounded!"

"I'm Chopper!" said Sanji, "I'll treat your wounds."

"I'm Nami," Franky said, "I'll never shoot the laser beam."

"And…" Nami said with a puff of smoke, "This is our NAMI-SAN!" Nami ripped open her jacket and pushed up her breasts, making her cleavage even deeper than usual.

"Yeah! There you are!" Brook and Usopp cheered.

"Was I always that indecent?" the Nami-Franky hybrid raged with fire in his eyes.

"Stop, Nami! You'll hurt your own body!" Rei shouted as she used her chains to pull Nami-Franky away from the Sanji-Nami hybrid.

"I won't do it again!" Sanji-Nami cried terrified of the enraged Nami-Franky.

"Don't, Nami!" Chopper-Sanji shouted, jumping in between them, "Nami's body will die!"

Nami-Franky pulled out a red notebook and started to scribble furiously into it.

"If you touch my body, I'll make you pay 200,000 bellis. 100,000 bellis for peaking!" she said as she wrote in Sanji's debt.

"That's so cruel!" Sanji-Nami protested

Usopp and Luffy were dying of laughter on the side.

"Stop laughing!" Nami-Franky yelled, "It wouldn't be funny if it happened to you!"

Rei couldn't help but glance over at Zoro, who was watching all of this with a small smirk on the side of his lips. _I wonder what would happen if we switched bodies_ , she thought.

"Guys, I think we need to update each other on what's going on on this island," Rei said as she stood up from her seat.

"I agree," Usopp said, wiping away tears from his eyes.

He quickly drew a sketch of the Thousand Sunny, a centaur stick figure, and a dragon onto the wall of the warehouse using some pens Rei carried in her utility belt.

"Okay!" he said pointing at his drawing like a school teacher, "Everyone pay attention."

The Straw Hats and the samurai head/leg hybrid gathered around for the briefing, while the children continued to play in the back with Luffy.

"Let's start from beginning," Usopp pointed at the samurai first, "He is the samurai from the Wano Kingdom. The signal that we received on the Sunny was meant for the Alliga-taur (Brownbeard), who they call 'Boss'. The signal was from one of his men. It all started when this samurai started to slice up the centaurs."

"I just wanted to rescue my missing son, Monosuke, and cut those people because they were standing in my way," the samurai explained, "In fact, look! Many children are held captive in this facility. I'm sure my son is in the building somewhere."

The Straw Hats turned to look behind them and watched as the children tossed snowballs at Luffy. Some were giant and reaching heights of 7 to 10 feet tall, while others were normal sized children.

 _What are these children doing on Punk Hazard?,_ Rei wondered.

Some of the children overheard the briefing and wandered over. "Yes, there are more of us. We don't even know the newcomers that well yet," one of them said.

"But the question is what happened after the signal?" Zoro asked, directing the attention back to Usopp.

"It's the man that we just saw," the samurai said, "People were saying that he is a Warlord."

"Yes," Rei said, "Trafalgar Law is one of the Shichibukai."

"He became one of the Seven Warlords in the past two years," Robin said.

"I was there when they made the decision," Rei said softly, "That's how I know him."

"WHAT?!" the Straw Hats gasped, "You were there when he became a warlord?!"

"I was asked by the Gorosei (Five Elder Stars) to weigh in on the decision," Rei said, "I've never had to advise on things involving the Warlord before but given the unique circumstances, they weren't sure what to do."

The Straw Hats were speechless. They knew that Rei was a legendary tactician and had been asked to consult in World Government affairs but they never knew just how far up she was able to reach.

Rei glanced over at Zoro to see what his reaction was to this piece of information but he had his head down and his arms crossed. _Was he napping?!_ , Rei thought.

In fact, Zoro was wide awake. He was playing close attention to Rei's explanation. He just didn't want the rest of the crew to see how interested he was in the subject.

"You said something about unique circumstances," Nami-Franky said, "What did you mean by that?"

"Law is still fairly new to the pirate world, especially compared to the other Warlords. He's the most inexperienced pirate to vy for a position. It was a big risk for them to take," Rei said.

"What made them decide to accept him?" Usopp asked.

"He sent 100 still-beating pirate hearts to Marine headquarters to prove his strength," Rei replied.

"What?!" the Straw Hats gasped.

"That's his ability, remember? Like what he did with Smoker?" Rei said looking at Robin and Usopp.

"He chopped me into three pieces before I knew it!" the samurai interjected, "My head was kept in the facility. My torso was thrown out into the cold and my legs were taken to the fire side."

"Rei-san, you were right. It was his torso that we saw," Brook said looking at Rei.

The samurai gasped and ran over to Rei. "You saw my torso?! Where?!"


	8. Rei & Vegapunk

"You guys are done for!" Brownbeard laughed as he stood chained to a pillar in the back part of the building.

"You were all clammed up before," Zoro said coolly as he and Luffy walked up to their prisoner, "What made you so talkative now?"

His sudden laugh had interrupted their status meeting and the Straw Hats made their way over towards their prisoner.

Brownbeard smiled nastily down at the Straw Hats, "Law will come save me. I despise pirates from your generation but Law is the exception."

"Our generation?" Luffy asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Don't you know anything, fool?" Brownbeard laughed.

"He's referring to what people are calling the Worst Generation. It's eleven people total, including you and Zoro," Rei started to explain.

Luffy and Zoro exchanged a grin at their notoriety but Rei ignored them as she continued, "It's Blackbeard plus the ten rookies with bounties over 100 million bellies, who arrived at Saobody at the same time over two years ago."

"You twelve are troublemakers," Brownbeard said, "who were born at the change of an era and hold the key to the future of this war-torn world."

"After Whitebeard died," Rei added, "You all came to the New World and unleashed a new set of problems. In the past two years, whenever something big occurs, there's usually somebody from the Worst Generation involved."

"Basil Hawkins," Brownbeard bellowed, "was the one that shattered my pirate group. I lost both my legs and ended my career as a pirate thanks to him."

"Isn't that a risk that you take from becoming a pirate?" Rei quipped.

"Shut up!" Brownbeard yelled at her, which caused Zoro to reach for his katanas.

"My crew members were annihilated," Brownbeard continued to shout, "I fled for my life and arrived here on Punk Hazard. Do you know what this place is?"

The Straw Hats shook their heads, including Rei.

"This island used to be lush and green," Brownbeard said, "and it housed a laboratory for Dr. Vegapunk, a Government scientist."

"Vegapunk!" Rei gasped recognizing the name.

Rei had an extensive knowledge of Devil Fruits, as she felt it was needed in order to be prepared for any attack on Beffi Island. Because of that, she was familiar with Dr. Vegapunk's discoveries and accomplishments regarding his research in those mysterious fruits. It also intrigued her to read the findings of a man who people say was 500 years ahead of his time.

"Yes," Brownbeard said, "They were experimenting with and developing weapons and chemicals here. Instead of going to prisons, they brought prisoners here and tested on them."

"People as guinea pigs?" Rei repeated, "That's just wrong."

"Four years ago, a weapon test went awry and it destroyed the island," Brownbeard said, "Two out of the three laboratories exploded. We're in the remains of one of them."

"That's why this place is a mess," Usopp said as he looked around at the broken pipes and cracked walls.

"The explosion belched intense heat and toxic substances into the air," Brownbeard explained, "and killed each and everything living on this island."

 _That's why Aokiji and Akainu decided to fight here_ , Rei thought.

"In that critical moment," Brownbeard continued, "The Government decided to leave those guinea-pig prisoners and escaped from the island. Then they shut it down completely. The prisoners stayed in the Third Laboratory, the only building that remained intact, and sheltered themselves from the poison gas that was all over this island. Even those who survived were paralyzed mainly in the lower body because of the nerve gas."

"So Law gave you guys legs?" Rei asked looking at the second half of Brownbeard's body. Now the centaurs around the island started to make sense.

 _But why would you do that, Law?_ , Rei thought.

"Yes," Brownbeard said, "But before that, a year after the explosion, our merciful Master came to the island."

"Master?" Luffy asked.

"He purified the gas on this island with his special ability and gave the people who couldn't walk mechanics to move and took them on as lackeys," Brownbeard said.

"Master!" Franky and Chopper cheered with tears in their eyes.

"I landed on this island a year after that," Brownbeard explained, "That was two years ago."

Tears started to fill up in the large man's eyes, "His kindness saved my life as well it did to the others. Vegapunk was a devil because he paralyzed my comrade's legs but the Master was our warm-hearted savior."

"You're wrong!" Rei shouted suddenly.

Something did not feel right about his story and for some reason, Rei felt protective over the world renowned scientist. "I don't believe Vegapunk would do that!"

"I'm not wrong! I'm telling the truth!" Brownbeard shouted, "See it for yourself! I have alligator legs, don't I?! I few months ago, the second savior, Law, arrived on this island and he gave us legs with his special abilities."

"That explains the centaurs," Usopp said, "But what about the dragon that we ran into on the burning side of the island?"

"The dragon is an artificial being that Vegapunk created to guard the island. It can adapt itself to any environment," Brownbeard said.

"He created something to make sure no one else steps foot on this island," Rei said, "That doesn't sound like a monster to me."

"You know nothing!" Brownbeard shouted, "This island now belongs to our Master! And you all will become his guinea pigs."

"Your Master sounds nothing like a savior!" Rei called back as she started to lose her temper, "He sounds horrible and you are a fool to follow him!"

"Shut up!" Brownbeard roared again and this time Zoro jumped up and pointed his Wado Icihmonji at Brownbeard's throat.

"Yell at her again," Zoro said with a devilish grin, "I dare you."

Rei was shaking with anger and she decided she needed some fresh air. She walked outside and sat down in the snow.

"Rei-san," Brook said as he came out with her and took a seat next to her, "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Rei said after a few deep breaths to calm herself, "I don't even know why I'm mad. I just feel like I had to defend Dr. Vegapunk."

"Do you know him well?" Brook asked.

"I've never even met him. I've just heard of his many achievements," she said as she looked up at the falling snow, "I just can't imagine someone who does such great things could do something so cruel."

"He's a genius, like you are," Brook observed, "Do you think that's why you feel like you have to defend him?"

"I guess," Rei said quietly, "I just hate to think that he's a monster and that people think of him that way."

"Do you think people see you as a monster, Rei-san?" Brook asked.

Rei was taken aback by the question. She thought about it for awhile until she arrived at an answer. "I'm afraid people only see me as a weapon or a strategic tool they can use."

Her eyes started to follow a snowflake as it started to drift slowly down to her feet. Suddenly, a bony arm came over her shoulder as Brook drew her in, leaning his afro against her head.

"You're not a weapon, Rei-san," he said gently, "Not to us."

"Thanks Brook," Rei said softly as they watched the snow fall together.

"Rei-san," Brook asked after a while, "May I see your pants?"

"No," Rei replied back coolly as she was now used to his question.


	9. Samurai Hunting

Zoro looked out at Rei and Brook as they sat in the snow together, and he wondered what the old man was saying to her. Zoro wasn't sure what they were talking about and he really wanted to go check but too much was going on inside the warehouse. Zoro needed to keep an eye on the rest of the Straw Hats as things were getting complicated.

Luffy was jumping on the puffy body of Chopper, as Franky had accidentally discovered how to activate his Fur Point. Sanji in Nami's body was running around looking for the samurai, who ran out while they were talking to Brownbeard.

"Where is he?!" Sanji-Nami yelled, causing Rei and Brook turn their attention back to inside the laboratory.

"I think we need to go back in," Rei said.

"Do you feel better, Rei-san?" Brook asked.

"Yes, I do," Rei said smiling at Brook, "I feel happy to the bone."

"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed as they walked back together, "Very good, Rei-san."

"Brook! Rei-chan! Did you see the samurai?" Sanji-Nami asked.

"I think he went out to the lake after we told him that was where we last saw his torso," Rei said.

Sanji-Nami groaned, "Damn! I was too distracted by Nami-swan's sexy body!"

"Why does it matter to you, Sanji-san?" Brook asked.

"I'm the one who brought his head here," Sanji-Nami sighed, "He was kept in the same room as we were when we got captured. He was only a head and couldn't move. I could've leave him alone so I'm responsible for him. If something happens to him, it's my fault."

"I see, since he's a samurai," Brook said, "He can't use his sword without his torso so all he can do is run."

"Do you want to go honor your responsibility, Sanji?" Rei asked.

"Boy, that fool," Sanji-Nami groaned before shouting out to their captain, who was still bouncing up and down on Chopper's body, "Luffy! I'll be right back, okay?"

"Yah!" Luffy shouted, not really paying attention to Sanji and more about how much higher he could jump.

Brook and Sanji-Nami started to run towards the exit.

"I'll show you the way," Brook said, "So...can I see your pants?"

"Of course! Yes! And do you have a camera on you?" Sanji-Nami answered excitedly.

"Wait! You fools!" Nami-Franky cried, as she ran after the perverted duo and threw several punches at Brook.

She turned to Rei, "Rei! You have to go with them."

"Me?" Rei asked, "Why me?"

"Because I need someone sensible to keep an eye on the two so they don't mess with my body," Nami-Franky said, "And fast enough to stop them if they try anything."

"Oh, okay," Rei said, as she made her way towards Brook to help him back on his feet.

"I'll go with them too," Zoro said as he adjusted his swords, "I want to see what the samurai is like when he's pieced back together."

 _That could work,_ Nami thought, W _ith him there, he and Sanji-kun would be too busy fighting for him to do anything to my body._

Normally, Zoro would have faith in Sanji's fighting ability but given that he was now in Nami's body, the swordsman just wasn't confident that him and Brook would be able to keep Rei safe. He acknowledged the fact that Rei is a strong fighter and can hold her own but there was something about her that just made him want to protect her. It also didn't help that she constantly was in the middle of trouble. It was as if Luffy's blood transfusion also gave her the shared ability to attract danger. Being protective and territorial was a constant urge now and it was annoying. He hated feeling like that.

"I don't mind sweet Rei-chan coming with us," Sanji-Nami grumbled as they set off to find the samurai, "But why does this shitty morimo have to come along with us?"

"Because of you, you stinking perv!" Zoro shouted back, hearing the cook's complaint, "If you weren't such an idiot, Nami wouldn't have to send Rei along to keep an eye out on you."

"What does that have to do with you, you jerk?!" Sanji called back.

"She's still injured and she's a girl too!" Zoro hollered, "Of course I'm coming in case you try anything funny, Ero-Cook!"

"I'm only interested in Nami-san's fantastic body!" Sanji yelled.

"And that is exactly how we ended up in this situation!" Zoro snapped.

"Do you think I wanted this?!" Sanji argued, "I don't want to be with a dumb-ass that I can't share this happiness with."

"Zoro, I'm fine!" Rei interjected, "Dr. Reindeer already said that the wound has healed and he's taken out the stitches! The bandages are only a precaution now."

"We don't know what's on this island," Zoro said as he glared at Rei.

"I don't need you to save me," Rei said as she glared right back at him, "I'm a-"

"Genius," Zoro finished for her, "Yes, you've said that many of times."

"I was going to say that I'm a strong fighter," Rei said, "But as long as you admit that I'm a genius…"

Zoro gritted his teeth. _Damn it_ , he thought, _She got me there._

"Heavy! So heavy!" Sanji-Nami cried as the group turned to look at him.

He was bouncing along while suffering from a heavy nosebleed, "Nami-san's breasts are so heavy when I run!"

"I thought you wanted to save the samurai!" Zoro shouted furiously at the cook.

Suddenly, Sanji's foot slipped in the snow and he fell backwards. Zoro instinctively reached out to grab his hand to catch him. The two were locked together as Nami's hand was gripped around Zoro's. She leaned backwards while he held her up in perfect balance.

"How romantic!" Brook commented on the scene.

A sudden pang in her chest made Rei breathe in sharply. _Maybe my injury wasn't as healed as Dr. Reindeer said,_ she thought.

She put a hand to where she felt the pain to feel around the wound but it wasn't hurting anymore. She took several breaths in and out and that felt fine too. _That's odd_ , she thought.

"You idiot!" Zoro shouted before slamming Sanji-Nami back onto the ground, "I don't care if you fall down."

"You jerk!" Sanji-Nami yelled back up at the swordsman, "Take better care of Nami's body!"

Brook ran forward past the crew, trying hard to spot any signs of the runaway samurai in the snow.

Zoro looked up and noticed Rei's hand on her chest. "Oy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing," Rei said, dropping her hand, "Just the cold air in my lungs needs some getting used to, that's all."

Zoro nodded his head and started to follow Brook. Just as he passed Rei, he said low enough so that only she could hear, "You're a terrible liar."

Rei blushed a little under her mask. She didn't have much experience lying but how could he even tell through her mask?

"Hey, you guys! Take a look at this!" Brook called out, grabbing her and Sanji's attention, "I see a footprint!"

"A trace of his wooden clogs?" Sanji-Nami asked as he and Rei reunited with Zoro and Brook.

"No, it's nothing like that," Brook said, pointing down to the ground.

They looked down and gasped at an enormous foot print in the snow. It was a human footprint for sure but the size of it was 100 times larger than a normal person's feet, maybe even more.


	10. Rei's Drunk

"Look at this!" Brook cried as they all stared at the enormous footprint, "Doesn't this look like the legendary Yeti's footprint?"

"Oy, oy," Sanji-Nami and Zoro refuted at the same time, "Don't be ridiculous."

"I don't think so," Rei asked as she crouched down to examine the print, "It's more likely this is a footprint of a giant. But what would a giant be doing on this island?"

They looked further down the snowy slope and saw a long trail of large footprints heading away from them. Sanji-Nami and Zoro began to think maybe Brook's Yeti-theory wasn't too far off.

"They're huge, aren't they?!" Brook shouted with excitement, "I can't believe it!"

"They look fresh," Rei observed.

"If we follow them, we would be able to find…" Brook said.

"One of nature's greatest mysteries!" the guys said together excitedly as their imaginations got the better of them.

Brook pictured a yeti with soft white fur and dangerous fangs. Sanji-Nami imagined a female yeti with beautiful hair and a gorgeous, yet furry, body, while Zoro imagined a yeti swordsman. Rei looked at their hopeful faces and shook her head. It's definitely a giant. It just had to be.

They decided to follow along the footprints instead of looking for the samurai, as their curiosity became too strong to ignore. They walked for a long time before finding themselves at an edge of a snowy cliff.

"A dead end?" Sanji-Nami asked out loud.

They felt a figure come up from behind them and they whirled around to see who it was. The snow was blowing upwards into the air so the Straw Hats only saw two large silhouettes.

"LOOK!" Brook cried, "There are huge shadows behind us!"

"Don't tell me, they're the Yeti…" Sanji-Nami started to say.

He was interrupted as the two figures, who were as tall as mountains, shot projectiles from their guns in their direction. It hit the ground and green gas exploded all around them.

"What is this gas?!" Zoro coughed as he tried to block his nose with his arms.

"All of a zudden, I can't zpeak clearly az if I kot drunk," Sanji-Nami stammered, "I'm tired."

"Iz it an enemy attack?" Brook slurred.

Rei started to laugh uncontrollably as she felt dizzy and intoxicated. She lost her balance and started to fall forward.

"Oy!" Zoro shouted as he hooked his arm around her waist and caught her before she could land face first into the snow, "I thought your mask helped block out gas?!"

"These KYP gas canisters make you drunk and drowsy regardless of whether or not you're a heavy drinker," one of their giant attackers said.

"And down below the cliff is district F-16 filled with terrible Ice Spikes," the second attacker added.

That sent Rei into another laughing spell. "I'mz znot drunk!" she slurred.

Zoro scowled as it dawned unto him that Rei was most susceptible to this type of attack as she had never had a drop of alcohol in her life and was a total lightweight.

Her head wobbled a little as she looked up at Zoro and gave him a little wink. "You better take good care of me, Pirate Hunter, and don't you dare yellz at me zlater for it."

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro said as he tried to gauge his surroundings.

Rei instantly went limp as she fell fast asleep and Zoro adjusted his hold on her to make sure he wouldn't drop her.

The attackers suddenly shot a round of explosives at the ground, cracking the edge of the cliff and sending the Straw Hats flying downward.

Zoro saw that the attackers were telling the truth and there was an elevated platform directly below them that was covered in icicles and spikes. It was elevated about 10 feet off of the actual ground. If they didn't do something they'd all die.

"Hey guys!" he called out as Rei giggled in her sleep.

He looked over and to his horror, he saw that Sanji-Nami and Brook were also passed out. He glanced down at Rei. _This is what happens when I'm the heaviest drinker in the group_ , he thought.

Still in the air, Zoro used his free hand to swiftly grab his Shusui and slice the platform at an angle. The group fell through the opening he created, unscathed. Zoro felt himself drifting into a deep sleep as they slid down the platform along the edge that he created. There was still a good 10 foot drop to the ground below.

"That was close," he murmured before twisting his body so that Rei could land on top of him instead of falling first into the ground.

The two dark figures stood overhead, confident that they had made their kill. They took one last look at the four fallen bodies below and walked away.

* * *

Rei woke up with a splitting headache. What happened? she thought as she tried to push herself up.

The ground felt weird under her hands. It was both hard and soft at the same time. To her surprise, she realized it was moving a little. She blinked and refocused her eyes to see what she was lying on top of. She gasped when she saw it was a human being and this person had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

She blinked again and then her eyes widened when her mind registered that the person was Zoro. She tried to pry herself out of his arms but the sudden movement made her head hurt even more and she started to feel a little dizzy.

She rested her head on his chest, as she had no other choice. She was too disoriented and weak to fight her way out of his hold and somehow, putting her forehead against his chest seemed to make her feel a little better. He was snoring loudly but she felt a little comfort with the rise and fall of his breathing.

She waited to see if he would loosen his hold on her but it seemed, even while unconscious, he had a very strong grip. It felt nice to have him hold her while the world seemed to spin uncontrollably around her. It was as if he was her temporary center of gravity.

Suddenly, she heard footprints behind them. She saw a group of men in yellow suits and oxygen tanks on their backs running towards them. She started to struggle against Zoro's arms again but it was just as useless as her first attempt. She could hear them getting closer so all she could do was play dead.

"We arrived at district F-16," one of them said, "We found four of the Straw Hats as informed. We'll recover their dead bodies."

Rei guessed that they had a transponder snail on them and were communicating back to whoever was behind this.

"Who are you calling dead?!" she heard Sanji's voice yell.

The yellow men gasped and clutched their weapons, "What?! She's alive?!"

"She's just a girl," one of them said, "She can't fight us…"

Rei cautiously turned her face so she can see what was going on, albeit very painfully and slowly, and saw that Sanji-Nami was standing in the middle of these men.

"It doesn't matter if there is a hundred of you!" Sanji-Nami shouted with a glare, "You underlings!"

He lifted Nami's leg high up over Nami's head and did a swift kick in each of their faces, knocking all of them out.

Sanji-Nami looked around him after everyone had fallen. "I have to be more careful. Nami-san's body is delicate."

"Hey, Sanji," Rei called out weakly, "Sorry I couldn't help. I'm not feeling like myself right now."

"Rei-chan!" Sanji-Nami said coming over to her side, "I didn't know you were awake. Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Rei said, "My head feels like it's about to split into two."

Sanji-Nami chuckled, "I think you're feeling your first hangover."

"It sucks." Rei admitted with a grimace, "And I can't move. Zoro has a death grip on me."

Sanji helped pry Zoro's arms off of Rei's waist and helped her to her feet.

"You poor fool," Sanji muttered as he looked down at the sleeping swordsman, "You got to hold sweet Rei-chan in your arms for this long and not even know it. What a waste."

He turned and gave Rei a smile. "Now for the fun part, Rei-chan."

Rei watched as Sanji-Nami put his hands into two tight fists. "WAKE UP, YOU IDIOTS!"

Zoro and Brook both cried out in pain as Sanji-Nami's fists connected with their temple.

"Is that how you would've woken me up?" Rei asked with a weak smile.

"No, Rei-chan," Sanji-Nami said with his hands on Nami's hips glaring down at the other two men, "I would just let one of these idiots carry you."

"I think you're becoming more and more like Nami," Rei commented.


	11. Samurai Found

"I must've bumped my head when I fell," Zoro said as he felt the giant lump on his forehead.

Sanji-Nami looked over at Rei and put his fingers to his lips. Rei smiled behind her mask and kept running forward with the rest of the group.

"Maybe I did too," Brook said sporting an equal sized lump, "I have a huge headache."

"Me too," Rei said, even though for a very different reason, "Sanji says I'm having a hangover."

"I told you, you should start drinking sake with me," Zoro said as he noticed Rei's pace was definitely slower than before.

"Shut up, you shitty swordsman!" Sanji-Nami yelled, "Don't corrupt innocent Rei-chan like that!"

"It's not like I'm going to try to do anything to her. Unlike you, you creepy perv!" Zoro argued back.

Rei stumbled a bit as her head was still groggy and without a word, Zoro swiftly picked her up and continued running with her in his arms.

"Zo-" Rei started to protest but the swordsman cut her off.

"Don't slow us down, idiot," he growled softly while his eyes focused straight ahead, "We need to find the samurai."

"We have wasted a lot of time," Rei agreed as she rested her aching head against his shoulder, "I wonder if the samurai is okay."

"It's a shame we didn't get to find the Yeti," Brook sighed, "But I'll never forget the shadows that we saw!"

"I don't believe it exists, " Zoro said.

"I believe it exists," Sanji-Nami countered.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Rei murmured as she shut her eyes for a moment.

"I just want to talk about whether or not it exists or not forever," Brook said.

"Whatever the case, hunting for the mysterious Yeti is over," Sanji-Nami said, "Should the samurai be around here, Rei-chan?"

"Yes," Rei said, "We're getting closer to the lake."

"Hey! Samurai-san!" Brooke called out.

"Samurai! Come on out!" Sanji-Nami yelled.

They started to walk around and call out to the samurai. Zoro set Rei down on a snowy mound while the rest of them explored the area where Rei and Brook last saw the torso. Rei watched as the men walked back and forth until finally she looked closer at a small mound of snow under Zoro's feet.

"Zoro! You're stepping on him!" she shouted, wincing a bit as it caused her head to throb.

Zoro quickly jumped off the mound and looked down. Indeed, below his footprint was lying on top of a very frozen samurai head and legs.

"I can't believe it! He's frozen!" Zoro said in surprise.

Sanji-Nami raised a high heeled foot over the samurai. "1, 2, 3!"

On three, he sunk Nami's heel into the mound, breaking the ice surrounding the samurai and the samurai jumped up gasping for air.

"Hey, hey," Sanji-Nami shouted down at the frozen mound, "Are you alright?"

"Did someone kick your ass?" Zoro asked.

"I was mysteriously paralyzed and thought I was going to die," the samurai gasped.

"You just got caught in the snowstorm and got frozen solid, didn't you?!" Sanji-Nami argued.

"He's such a pain," Zoro said.

"Give yourself some clothes! You have the ability to do that, don't you?" Sanji-Nami shouted.

"Is that how you and the others got winter coats?" Rei asked.

"Yes, Rei-chan," Sanji-Nami said, "This idiot ate a devil fruit that gave him powers to create disguises and clothes."

"T-To tell you the truth," the samurai stuttered, "I can't right now because -"

"Your torso is in the water!" Rei gasped as she put the pieces together, "That's why you couldn't move and was frozen solid! The lake is filled with seawater, and that's why Usopp and Zoro had to carry Luffy and Robin earlier today."

Zoro raised an eyebrow in Rei's direction. He was still not quite used to how fast her mind works, even when hungover.

"He's still alive so I don't think it has become food for the sharks yet," Zoro said, "But we don't know what else is in that lake. We better pull it out as soon as possible."

Sanji-Nami grabbed the samurai by the collar and started to drag him as they made their way towards the water.

Up ahead, a big group was starting to come towards them.

"What is that?" Sanji-Nami asked.

Rei squinted her eyes to have a better look but she couldn't tell. The group stopped and waited to get a better look. Suddenly, the dust and snow around the group cleared and they were able to see who was coming.

"It's Brownbeard's centaurs!" Brook said, "The ones we stole the clothes from!"

"Stay with me!" they shouted to each other, "Keep running! Stay away from the lake! A monster's on the other side!"

"A monster?" Zoro repeated, "You guys are the monsters."

The group skidded to a halt when they saw the Straw Hats.

"They're the pirates that robbed us earlier!" one of them cried.  
"Damn it! That's my coat!" someone else called out.

"And those are my ear muffs!" another voice shouted.

Rei realized the last voice was talking about the ones she was wearing. She quickly took them off and offered it to the group. "Do you want them back?"

"Oy!" Zoro shouted, making her jump, "You can't just take something from them and then give it back when they ask you to. Are you a pirate or not?"

"Sorry," Rei mumbled, "I don't know what the social protocol is for this kind of situation."

"There is no social protocol for this kind of situation, you idiot!" Zoro snapped.

"Forget about them! Just run to the lab!" Brownbeard's men cried as they ran around the Straw Hats.

Rei hesitantly put her ear muffs back onto her head. They were really comfortable and it did help her headache a bit.

"Hey," Zoro said out of the blue, "They were running in the direction away from the lake, right?"

"Yes! That is right, Zoro-san," Brook said, impressed that Zoro got his directions right, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, if in fact that is the lake," Zoro said, looking ahead, "I don't think there was a mountain there before, was there?"

"Mountain?" the group repeated as they gazed at the direction Zoro was referring to.

Their jaws dropped and their eyes widened as they saw a silhouette in the distance. It was definitely in the shape of a mountain but Zoro was right. It wasn't there before.

The mountain was between a purple and pinkish hue. It was nothing Rei had ever seen before. Judging by the faces of the people around her, she knew she was not alone. It had two yellow lights near the top, which made it look like it had eyes and a big gaping hole that made it look like a mouth.

Suddenly, a tube sprouted from the top and little mini balls, the same color and texture as the mountain, started to pop out of the tube and into the sky.

"Is it some kind of living thing?" Zoro asked, stepping forward to get a closer look.

"I don't know. I've never seen such a thing," Sanji-Nami answered.

"I'm so stunned - my eyes popped out of my head," Brook said, "But I don't have eyes in the first place. Yohohoho!"

"Quite a strange thing," Sanji-Nami said, ignoring the skeleton's joke.

"Doing a strange thing," Zoro added.

They looked up at the balls that were being shot into the air.

"Wow! It's really flying up high!" Brook commented.

They watched as it slowly started to fall. Rei was the first one to react.

"Guys, it's coming towards us," she said as she calmly took two steps to the side.

Zoro followed suit while Sanji-Nami and Brook were not so attentive to Rei's words.

"What?" they cried before jumping at the last second to avoid the incoming projectile.

"What is this?!" the samurai asked as they stared at the pink, gooey blob that had landed at their feet.

"Whatever it is, we shouldn't touch it," Rei said.

"Is that a Slime?" Brook asked.

"Slime?" Rei repeated.

"Yes. I was once reading a book that had a monster," Brook said, "That looks exactly like this one called a 'Slime'. I couldn't stop reading it."

"Oh?" Rei asked, her interest piqued.

"Yes, it attacked only women," Brook said, "And its body fluids would only melt what the women were wearing! It was such a dirty monster."

"What?! That's too convenient!" Sanji-Nami shouted in excitement, "C-Can I borrow that book sometime?"  
"What kind of story is that?" Rei asked, confused.

"Idiot! Watch what you're saying in front of Rei!" Zoro yelled at Brook.

"I want to borrow the book too!" the samurai said.

"Fools! Look carefully," Zoro interrupted as something had caught his attention, "I don't know if it will melt your clothes but Rei's right. We shouldn't touch it."

He pointed at the lake ahead where fish bones were starting to float up to the surface. "The fish are dying from the fluid that dropped into the lake. It's like it's made of toxins."

"If nothing is done, the poison will spread all over the lake," Rei said.

"Then the samurai-san's torso…" Brook said, catching onto what Zoro and Rei were implying.

Suddenly, the glove that Sanji-Nami was wearing fell the floor, turning into a pebble. They looked over at Sanji-Nami, who was taking off his clothes.

"D-don't tell me! You're going in, Sanji?!" Rei gasped.

"Do I have a choice? It's my personal mission!" Sanji-Nami shouted back, "I'm Sanji, I'm a man!"

He flung his coat off his shoulder, revealing Nami's bikini top, "I've got to do it!"

He turned to look at Brook, "Do something about the Slime behind you."

"Behind me?" Brook asked and he turned around.

He was so focused on Sanji's noble effort to save the samurai, he didn't realize that many more blobs of Slime had landed near them. Zoro and Rei were already facing them solemnly as the blobs started inching towards them.

"Hey Zoro," Rei asked.

"Yeah?" Zoro replied not taking his eyes off of the toxic blobs.

"Do you think I'd like the book Brook was talking about?" Rei asked.

"No! And you should never read any book that Brook or that Ero-Cook likes, you got that?!" Zoro suddenly shouted as broke his gaze and glared down at Rei.

Rei was confused, "Okay but why?"

"Just trust me!" Zoro said, feeling a slight blush coming on so he faced forward again to avoid eye contact with Rei.

Damn it, he thought, I don't want to be the one who has to explain this stuff to her.

"The Slimes are coming closer," Brook observed and he was correct.

"So what do we do?" Rei asked out loud.

No one had an answer.


	12. Sanji's Hug

More and more Slimes accumulated in front of Rei, Zoro, Brook, and the samurai, as they waited for Sanji-Nami to return from the lake with the samurai's torso.

They looked on helplessly as the blobs started to weld together to form one massive one.

"Alright, Brook," Zoro said, giving the skeleton a light shove towards their direction, "Convince them."

"That's impossible!" Brook shouted, "What kind of negotiation skill is going to work for these monsters?"

"I don't even think this is a living creature," Rei said, "I think it must have something to do with the chemical weapons test that killed everyone on this island years ago."

"Didn't Brownbeard-san say that the Master purified the air?" Brook asked.

"Boy, they're merging into one another and getting bigger," Zoro said interrupting Rei's thoughts.

"I hope Sanji gets back in time," Rei said softly, "I hope he's okay."

"What a pain in the ass!" Zoro scoffed, "That worthless chef."

"What he's doing is noble and brave," Rei argued.

Zoro scowled. It was the last thing he wanted to hear.

Suddenly, the blobs came together even more and became taller than the Soul King. They started to inch closer to him. Brook stepped back but slipped in the snow and fell to the ground.

"Oh! It's coming!" he cried, "Don't...Don't...Don't attack me! Somebody help me!"

Zoro drew his swords as he sliced the blob into four pieces. They fell back into a pile on the ground, avoiding Brook.

"You did it, Zoro-san," Brook said with a sigh of relief.

"Stand back!" Rei shouted as the blob suddenly exerted purple fumes into the air.

"It's gas! Run!" Zoro said as he jumped back, pulling Rei along with him.

The gas engulfed Brook. "I've had enough! Ugh! Poison gas! My eyes, my eyes!'

"You don't have eyes," Rei calmly reminded him.

"Oh yes, you're right! Yohohoho!" Brook said with a laugh.

He then got up to his feet and faced the blobs, annoyed at the situation.

"Hey, what's your problem?" he yelled as he poked the blob with his sword, "You jelly-ish body entity?!"

The blob spurted out some more poison gas and Brook jumped back with a scream.

"What should we do?" Rei asked, "We can't attack it and we're surrounded."

"This is not good," Zoro said as he stepped a little bit closer to the front of Rei, blocking her a bit from the blobs that were closing in on them.

"Since they're jelly, can you eat them like Luffy did with the Doru guy?" Zoro asked out loud.

"This is different. Doru wasn't poisonous," Rei said.

Suddenly the samurai started to scream.

"What's going on?" Brook asked as they turned to look at the samurai, who was writhing on the floor in obvious pain.

"Something must be happening to his torso," Rei said as she rushed over to the samurai's side.

She looked out into the lake. _Please hurry, Sanj_ i, she thought.

The lake started to turn purple as the toxins in the poison filled into the water.

"Sanji!" Rei cried out over the lake, "Sanji!"

A figure burst through the water and into the air. Rei looked up and saw that Sanji was doing his sky walk above them and in his hands dangled the torso of the samurai.

"Thank goodness," Rei said with a sigh of relief.

She didn't know how tightly she was clenching her fist and she quickly loosened her grip. _I must've been more worried than I thought._

"That idiot," Zoro scowled.

Sanji landed safely back with his group and they quickly assembled the samurai back together.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Sanji!" Rei said with a relieved smile.

"Ahhhh~" Sanji-Nami said, "I didn't mean to worry you, Rei-chwan~"

Sanji turned to see the glare in the swordsman's eye so he decided to have a little fun.

"I'm so cold, Rei-chan!" he said shivering in Nami's body, "Can I hide in the cloak with you for a bit until I warm up?"

"Sure," Rei said as she wrapped her cloak around Nami's shoulders, "Nami would kill you if you damaged her body in anyway."

"Yes," Sanji-Nami said throwing a devilish look at Zoro before hugging Rei tightly and pressing his cheek against Rei's, "This is all for Nami-swan."

"OY! You two-" Zoro started to snarl as he made his way over to the "girls".

"I've never been so happy to have my own body!" the samurai cried, interrupting the swordsman from wreaking havoc.

"Oh, I didn't know you were so tall!" Brook said as he realized that the samurai was now eye level to him.

"Oh yes, excuse me for not introducing myself sooner," the samurai said, "My name is Kin'emon. I was born in Kuri, Wano Kingdom."

"Okay, we get it!" Zoro said as he dragged Sanji-Nami out of Rei's arms with fire in his eyes as he very roughly placed a pebble on Sanji-Nami's head, "Just do it already or he's going to freeze to death."

"Oh, right!" Kin'emon said, "Poof!"

Suddenly, Sanji-Nami had a large green jacket wrapped around him.

"Do you feel better, Sanji?" Rei asked.

"Yes, thank you, Rei-chwan," Sanji-Nami said with a big smile on his face.

Then he glanced side-eye at the swordsman. He waited until Zoro looked over before turning to Rei and saying extremely loudly, "Your body was very warm and soft!"

Rei wasn't sure what had happened but suddenly Zoro had lunged out at Sanji. It took both Brook and Kin'emon to hold Zoro back.

"Zoro," Rei said confused, "Calm down. This is not the time to play around."

"Who said anything about playing around?" Zoro said through clenched teeth, "I'm going to kill him!"

Rei sighed. "If you do any damage to Nami's body, she'll kill you!"

 _They were fighting about you, Rei-chan_ , Brook thought as he shook his head helplessly at the girl's back.

Kin'emon dropped down to his knees and bowed down towards Sanji-Nami, which stopped the boys from fighting. "I will never forget, Ever!" he cried, "I will never forget your kindness for the rest of my life!"

"Stop it, you fool!" Sanji-Nami shouted as he lifted the samurai's head off the ground, "Men shouldn't kneel on the ground that easily!"

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but Sanji-san," Brook said softly, "It looks like we're in big trouble."

Rei looked behind them and saw that the blobs were bigger than ever and they were most definitely closing in.

"We have nowhere to run," she gasped.

"Hey, guys!" Sanji-Nami shouted, "Didn't I tell you to do something about them?!"

"I'm a tactician!" Rei protested, "Not a chemist. How am I supposed to know what's going to work on them!"

"Why don't we burn them down?" Kin'emon suggested.

"I don't have any matches," Rei said as she looked over at Sanji-Nami.

"People call me Foxfire Kin'emon," the samurai said as he drew one of his swords, "I can burn and slice enemies with my sword. Let me burn them down and clear the way to escape."

"You can burn and slice your enemies?" Rei asked.

"Sounds like magic," Sanji-Nami said in disbelief.

The blobs loomed over the samurai as he readied his sword. Zoro repositioned himself in front of Rei, while never taking his eyes off of the samurai. He wanted to see what this person from the kingdom of strong swordsman could do.

With a quick wave of his arm, the blob in front of Kin'emon suddenly split into two with flames coming out of the cut. An explosion burst through, blinding the Straw Hats, as the rest of the blobs caught fire as well.

Kin'emon continued to slash the air with his arms and the flames around them were sliced as they cleared into to air without causing any damage to the group.

"He cut the fire?" Rei asked, not believing her own eyes.

"My Foxfire Style allows me to cut something with fire and then cut flames," Kin'emon explained, "There is no flame that I can't cut."

He turned to the group, "Now I must return to the laboratory to rescue my son, Mononosuke. If you'll excuse me."

"Wait!" Zoro called out, stopping the samurai, "I'm intrigued by a samurai's fight. I'll go with you to rescue your son."


	13. Grand Entrance

Rei was starting to slow down. Her head still ached a little from the KYP gas cannisters. She was used to being the fastest and running at the head of the group but now she was starting to find herself significantly at the back.

She also didn't forget about the slight pain she felt earlier when they first set off to find the samurai. She'll need to ask the doctor when she gets back.

They were heading back to the laboratory and they were halfway there. They've been running near the top of a snowy mountain so they could still see the original Slime mountain in the distance.

Suddenly, a low but loud growl came from the mountain as the blobs continued to drop around the island.

"The mountain is mad!" Brook said.

"Probably because of those small Slimes were blown up," Zoro commented.

"Like a parent and its child?" Kin'emono asked, "But I had no choice."

"Look, it's transforming," Rei said as the mountain started to form legs and arms.

Sanji-Nami thought it looked like a frog, while Zoro thought it looked like a lizard. Either way, it was big, slimy, and now mobile. Rei wondered if it was an effect of a Devil Fruit. It was debatable because that would mean the blob was a living creature to begin with.

Suddenly, the source of Rei's wonderment threw a piece of itself, tremendously bigger than the other ones from before, and it landed right behind the group. It was at least five times the size of the ones Kin'emono had cut.

"We need to run!" Rei said as she darted forward. She ignored her headache and ran as fast as she could towards the front again.

"It can make copies of himself?" Brook asked as he looked back at the Slime mountain.

"No, it looks like the one on the other side is shrinking," Kin'emono said.

"It's trying to cross the lake," Rei called as she glanced back, "it's throwing pieces of itself to get to our side!"

"We don't want that monster to run wild on this side!" Sanji-Nami shouted.

"If we cut it, it spews gas. If we burn it, it explodes," Zoro said, "And it's way bigger than the ones before."

"The lab will be in danger too," Rei said.

"We need to save my son!" Kin'emono shouted as he raced ahead.

"I'm going to the lab," Zoro said, "What are you guys doing?"

"Obviously going with you, idiot!" Sanji-Nami yelled back, "If you get separated from Kin'emon and wander off, we have to look for you all over the island!"

"Now's not the time to fight, guys!" Rei said as she slowed her pace so that she could run in between the two.

She linked her arms through their arms and pulled them forward. They avoided getting hit by one of the flying blobs by just a few inches.

"Oy! Rei," Zoro said, "Don't pull me. I can run on my own!"

"Yeah, Rei-chan," Sanji-Nami said, "We'll just slow you down if you have to keep pulling us."

"Then stop fighting!" Rei said shutting the two men up.

"Let's go to the lab!" Brook cried.

"Can we even outrun these monsters?" Zoro shouted as the blobs loomed over them as they grew exponentially in size.

Rei spotted something in front of them. It was big and round, about the same size as a large two story building. As she continued to run towards it, she realized it looked like a giant ball of candy.

"Is that...candy?" Brook shouted.

Suddenly, a video projection showed up in the air. It showed a man in a white robe that had the word "GAS" on each side. The face smiled sinisterly at the camera. He had long black hair and a white face with purple lips.

"Who's that?" Rei asked.

"Doesn't matter. Keep running!" Zoro growled.

"SMILEY!" The man shouted through the projector, "I've missed you! It's been three years!"

"Smiley?" Rei asked.

"Stop listening!" Zoro snapped as he pushed her forward, "Don't get distracted and just run!"

The group ran past the giant candy and Rei tried her hardest not to look behind her to see what was happening. Temptation got the best of her though and turned her head to catch a glimpse.

"The blob ate the candy!" she gasped as Zoro bumped into her.

The Slime now had combined all the blobs together and was now back in a salamander like form. It had ingested the candy, which was slowly dissolving in his belly and bubbled upwards.

"OY! I told you to keep running," Zoro growled as he grabbed Rei's wrist and pulled him behind her.

"Zoro, I don't-" she started to say as she tried to pull her hand out from his grasp but he held onto her firmly and a little too tightly.

"If you're going to look, then go ahead," Zoro said as he kept running, "I'll look ahead for the both of us."

"So romantic," Brook sighed as he looked at the two.

"What did you say?" Rei asked.

"Nothing!" Brook called out before scurrying ahead.

Rei looked behind at the blob. "It's starting to act weird!"

"Just keep running," Kin'emon shouted, "Even soldiers from this island are running desperately."

"I couldn't agree more," Zoro said as he tightened his grip on Rei.

"If we get too close to the Slime, I can use my Linked Haki-" Rei started to say.

"Don't you dare!" Sanji and Zoro shouted, ending her back-up plan.

Rei was one of the rare people in the world, who was able to use a forbidden haki technique called Linked Haki where the body moves as fast as the mind. The side effect of using such a technique causes her body to sustain damages of the after shock. The longer the distance, or the more people she took with her, the more severe the whiplash would be.

Suddenly, the Slime salamander started to growl loudly, which caused the group to stop short. They turned to look at what had happened. The group watched in horror as the Slime slowly turned purple right in front of their eyes and began to melt in big droplets onto the floor. As it hit the snow, gaseous fumes emitted from the ground.

"Poison gas!" Rei shouted as Zoro quickly turned back, pulling her with him.

"Run!" Zoro called out to Sanji-Nami, Brook, and Kin'emon.

The poison gas was covering the ground at a much faster speed than the Slime salamander. There was no time to look back now and Rei knew it. She just focused on getting to the laboratory safely with her friends.

They all had to run at full speed and Zoro dropped his hold on Rei's hand when he noticed that she was inching ahead of him. He knew she could go faster if she wasn't wearing a heavy utility belt but he figured now was not the time to tell her to give that up.

"It's going to reach us soon," Sanji-Nami yelled.

"Guys, run at full speed!" Zoro shouted back, "If anybody gets caught, we'll have to leave you behind."

"I see a mysterious animal up ahead!" Brook called out.

Rei was now at the front of the group so she had a better view of what Brook was referring to.

"It's a dragon!" Rei gasped as she spotted a green scaled dragon with two big wings.

"Dragon?!" Sanji-Nami shouted, "That's impossible. They're mythical creatures!"

"Vegapunk's creation, remember?" Rei yelled back

"It's like the one we saw in the burning lands but smaller," Zoro added, "If we catch it we can fly on it."

"Let's catch it!" Brook shouted.

But the dragon was too far ahead of the group, and running in the same direction, for them to easily jump on it's back. Rei grit her teeth and looked back at the group. She could catch it and then bring it back to the group for them to fly on.

"Linked Haki!" she shouted as she directed her mind to the dragon's back.

Instantly she was there and just as quickly, she coughed up blood and fell onto her knees causing her to almost roll off the dragon's back. Instinctively, she reached out her hand and grabbed the dragon's wing just in time to help stop her fall.

"IDIOT!" Zoro shouted from the distance, "What are you thinking?!"

Suddenly, Sanji-Nami clutched her heart as started to fall behind in the group. "I can't. I can't keep running. Nami's lungs…Nami's..."

He then noticed where his hand was and his eyes were filled with hearts. "Breasts!" he cried, finding a new lease on life as he raced forward and jumped onto the dragon's back a well.

"What kind of stupid power is that?!" Zoro yelled at the cook.

"Zoro! Brook! Kin'emon!" Rei shouted out to the rest of the group. "Come on!"

"Rei-chan," Sanji-Nami said coolly as he sat next to her on the dragon, "I know how to get that idiot marimo onto the dragon."

"How?" Rei asked.

Sanji-Nami reached over and grabbed Rei. "REI-CHAN!" he called out, hugging her tightly while Rei was unmoving, unsure of how to react, "DON'T WORRY. I'M HERE TO PROTECT YOU NOW."

Rei saw a path of smoke fly out as Zoro came charging onto the dragon carrying Brook in one arm and Kin'emon in the other with a sudden burst of energy. He threw the two of them onto the dragon as he jumped on last.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Love Cook!" he growled.

"Zoro!" Rei exclaimed, "Brook! Kin'emon! I'm so happy you guys made it!"

"Idiot!" Zoro shouted back at her when he noticed the spot of blood near her lips, "I told you not to use Linked Haki!'

"But, it slowed down the dragon enough for you to get on, right?" Rei asked.

Brook's sudden cry interrupted Zoro for making another remark. They turned to watch the skeleton fly off the dragon's tail and swing towards the poisonous gas.

"Brook!" Zoro and Sanji-Nami shouted.

At the last second, Brook's arm was unexpectedly caught by two large arms as it brought him down avoiding the gas. Brook looked up to see the faces of Usopp, Nami in Sanji's body, and Brownbeard. They were on Brownbeard's back as he was running away from the poisonous gas as well.

"Nami-san?" Sanji-Nami asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Usopp!" Rei called out waving to the group behind them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Zoro called out.

"We have tons of questions too!" Nami said in Sanji's body, "But they can wait!"

"We need to get to the lab," Rei agreed.

Brownbeard was gradually running past their dragon. "Guys, you need to jump onto my back!"

"Are you sure?" Rei asked. The captain looked injured and she wasn't sure if all the extra weight would slow him down.

"Yes! Jump on!" he shouted back.

Zoro, Sanji-Nami, Brook, Kin'emon, and Rei quickly rushed off the dragon's back and onto Brownbeard's as Rei looked nervously back at the poisonous gas.

Suddenly, the dragon, noticing the flicking tail of Brownbeard, decided that it was snack time and bit down hard on the alligator tail. Brownbeard gave a great cry and sprang even faster further towards the lab.

"This is great!" Nami-Sanji shouted.

"We're counting on you, Brownbeard!" Usopp called out.

"You people are horrible!" Brownbeard cried out in pain.

They rushed forward until finally they saw the lab ahead of them. Brownbeard was going so fast they had to cling onto him with all their strength or else they'd fly backwards into the poisonous gas. The doors of the lab had just started to seal shut and they only had a small window of opportunity to get into the laboratory safely.

"Don't close the shutter!" Usopp cried out to the men in the lab.

"Hey, Kin'emon," Zoro said to the samurai, "Are you able to cut iron?"

"That's not so hard to cut," the samurai replied.

It was what Zoro was hoping he'd say.

"Keep charging ahead, Brownbeard!" Zoro ordered, as he and Kin'emon stood up and readied their swords.

As soon as they were close enough to the door, they jumped off of Brownbeard's shoulders and slashed their swords through the door.

They burst through into the laboratory amongst the cheers of Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats.

"It's Zoro and them!" Luffy cried.

"That's a bizarre entrance," Robin commented with a smile.

"Hey! Everybody's here?" Luffy asked as he shouted down from a walkway on the second floor of the laboratory.

"Luffy!" Rei, Usopp, and Nami-Sanji yelled out happily as they waved at him.

Luffy took a deep breath as he readjusted his Straw Hat on his head. Then he gave a grin to his crew before screaming, "We're all back together!"


	14. Get a Grip

"So this is Vegapunk's laboratory," Rei said with wonder, as she stood next to Nami in Sanji's body.

She looked around her and wondered what kind of experiments and tests the leading scientist of the world had done within these walls.

"It's the Master's now," Nami-Sanji corrected.

They had made it safely into the lab, thanks to the skills of Zoro and Kin'emon. Now the G5 marines were rushing to put the door back together, while hammering metal pieces in to block wherever Zoro and Kin'emon's swords slashed through for them to get in.

Of course, the marines did that while cursing out every one of the Straw Hats, as it was their mess the marine's were cleaning up.

"Get used to the feeling," Nami-Sanji had said when they directed an insult at Rei, "You're a pirate, after all."

Rei still had her mask on so Nami couldn't see the smile on her face as she was pleased to be acknowledged as one of them. The Straw Hats had all agreed that it would be best for Rei to keep the mask on since that meant she would lower the chances of her getting recognized if she ever ventured out without it on. It also helped the intimidation factor when facing the marines since the Navy had never seen her unmasked.

"Hey, who is that?" she overheard one of G-5s whisper to another.

"You don't know? Straw Hats got a new member. That's 'Red Ghost' Rei!" the other person hissed back.

"Yeah! She used to be a commander on Beffi Island and was a tactician that helped the Navy too," another man added.

"I can't believe she became a pirate. What a traitor!" the first G-5 said.

Nami started to say something as she pulled out her Clima-Tact but Rei put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"It's okay," Rei said firmly, "I'm a pirate, after all."

They felt the rumbling of the gas as it poured over the laboratory and everyone held their breath as they looked at the cracks in the door. Thankfully, none of the gas leaked in and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like we're safe," Nami sighed.

"Okay!" Zoro said with a confident nod.

"It's so not okay!" one of the marines shouted, "We all could've died because of you!"

"We plugged the hole too!" another one complained.

The group of G5 closest to the pirates started to aim their guns at the Straw Hats.

"You guys are way more annoying than I expected," a marine said, "Give it up, Straw Hats! You too, Brownbeard!"

"We ran all the way here to be caught by marines?" Rei mused, "That hardly seems fair."

"This is serious, Rei!" Usopp hissed, "We have nowhere to run."

"We don't need to run," Zoro said with a devilish smile on his face.

"So predictable," Nami-Sanji sighed.

Rei pulled out the chain weapons from her utility belt and readied herself. She did not want to be outdone in a fight. She might be the newest member but she certainly wasn't going to use that as an excuse to be the weakest.

Suddenly, Nami-Sanji noticed Trafalgar Law standing on the second floor with Luffy. "Tra-guy! Now's your chance. Hurry up!" she cried.

Rei looked over to see what Nami was referring to and laughed. Nami had dragged Sanji over to stand next to her and Sanji-Nami was not too thrilled about what was about to happen.

"Nami, Sanji didn't do anything weird to your body," Rei reported. She did feel responsible since Nami had ask Rei to keep an eye out for her.

"Good! Thank you, Rei!" Nami said with relief.

"Except he did kick down a group of yellow men who were about to attack us. We fell down a really high cliff and he also jumped into the freezing lake that was about to get covered in poison. Oh, and he did notice that your breasts felt heavy when he ran," Rei said, as she always made sure her reports were thorough, "But nothing weird."

"HE DID WHAT?!" Nami screeched.

Before she could direct anything at Sanji, Trafalgar Law already created a room around them. Within seconds, they were switched back. Nami was back in her body and Sanji was back in his.

"The dream is over," Sanji cried mournfully.

"Sanji-kun," Nami called sweetly.

"Yes, Nami-swannnn," Sanji answered back before Nami's punch landed stranded into his cheek and sent him flying across the laboratory.

"Rei, I don't think you should've told Nami all those things," Usopp whispered to Rei as they rushed over towards Sanji to see if he was okay.

"But she's wearing a different coat," Rei replied back, "She was going to notice something was off anyways."

They looked down at the unconscious chef.

"That's odd," Rei said, "Sanji would usually get up by now."

"Oh," Usopp said a little guiltily, "Nami was beaten by Caesar while she was in Sanji's body."

"Caesar?" Rei asked.

"Caesar Clown," Usopp explained, "He's the one they call 'Master'. He's been drugging the children and doing tests on them."

"What?" Rei bursted out, "What would he want with children?!"

"Everybody listen!" Law suddenly cried out from the 2nd floor interrupting Rei, "Now, outside of this laboratory is filled with poison gas but there is one passage that could lead you directly to the sea bypassing the air outside."

He's letting the marines escape?, Rei thought to herself, What is he up to?

"There's multiple buildings in this laboratory," Law continued, "And we're in Building A right now. If you go through the gate at the back of this building and pass through the central building, Building B, you'll find Building R. There is a big door marked R-66. That is an entrance to passage to the sea."

Law looked menacingly down at the people below him. "I'd rather not have to create a massacre but I can only give you two hours. I can't guarantee your safety after that."

Rei looked questioningly at Usopp and Nami. "How much did I miss by being out with those guys?"

"A lot," they sighed.

"It's what usually happens when we get ourselves into trouble," Nami said, "Someone's always on a side mission or gets caught up with something else and miss out on the big plan."

"Oy!" Zoro scowled at Nami, "Why are you looking at me when you say that?"

"I guess this time is my turn," Rei said quickly before Nami could answer back, "Anything I should know?"

As if on cue, Smoker walked out from the second floor and stood where Trafalgar was just a minute ago.

"G5!" he shouted, "We need to find the children who were abducted 2 years ago and take them with us to the passage!"

The marines yelled back their support to their leader.

"Everyone, let's split up and look for the children as well," Nami said as she glanced up at Smoker, "Zoro! You can't go alone!"

"Rei-san should go with him," Brook said, "She has her chains that she can use if he runs astray."

"I can hear you both!" Zoro growled.

"I don't mind going," Rei said as stepped towards the swordsman.

"That's not the point!" Zoro yelled.

Suddenly, they were surrounded by marines. "We're not letting you through, you dirty pirates!" they shouted while some of them started to attack.

"I thought your leader just gave you orders. Why are you not following them?" Rei asked confused as she dodged one of their bullets and then disarmed the marine quickly with a series of blocks and punches.

"It's no use, Rei. They're not going to listen to you because you're a pirate," Usopp said, "Don't think much into it."

"Can you tell me more about this Caesar Clown?" Rei asked, giving up on the G5 and their mismanagement.

"Caesar Clown?" Zoro repeated, as he dodged a sword coming his way.

"Yeah, he's a gas man that can control the gas around him and even the oxygen in your throats," Usopp answered as he avoided a marine's attack, while Rei used her chains to knock him unconscious, "We actually got caught off guard and suffocated by him earlier."

"What?!" Zoro shouted as he cut through two more marines, "Luffy got beaten?!"

"We had been put to sleep by yeti's too," Zoro said with a frown, "That's not good."

Usopp and Rei turned to look at Zoro, who had a very grave expression on his face. "That's really no good!" he continued, "We spent those two years for what?"

"We're all alive and well now," Usopp said trying to calm the swordsman down, "So-

"Screw that!" Zoro shouted, making Rei jump back in fear, "Being caught off guard could cost us our lives from now on."

Rei wasn't sure what to do or why Zoro had turned so solemn and intense. Zoro was constantly angry at her but this was a different sort of anger that she had never seen before.

Zoro put his katanas back into their scabbards and walked past the marines, as if they were not there. He was confident they weren't going to attack him and equally confident that if they did, he would dispose of them easily.

"Luffy!" he shouted up to the second floor.

Usopp and Rei rushed forward to follow Zoro, guarding his side and back.

Zoro thought back about how much the crew has gone through from his first day meeting Luffy to that fateful day on Saobody Archipelago, where they were separated. What would it be all for if we just died now?, he thought, What's the point of getting stronger if we're going to make the same mistakes as before?

"Luffy!" Zoro continued to shout.

He clenched his fists and looked around at the Straw Hat members from Nami to Sanji before finally looking at Rei, the newest one. What's the point of getting stronger if we can't protect the ones we want to?!, he thought. "LUFFY!"

Finally, their captain heard the swordsman calling and he peaked over the edge of the walkway. "Zoro!" he shouted with a smile.

"GET A GRIP!" Zoro yelled back "This is just the beginning of the New World!"

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy grinned in return, "Sorry! I won't drop my guard again!"


	15. Rei & Tashigi

"We won't let you get away!" The G-5 Marines shouted as they pointed their weapons at the Straw Hats.

"This is getting really old," Rei muttered as she deflected a couple of swords coming her way, "Aren't we supposed to be saving the children? Who is leading these marines?"

Everyone was still in building A of Caesar Clown's laboratory and running out of time. They only had two hours to find the children and get them to the passage way that would lead them to the sea. Rei was getting slightly annoyed. The disorderly conduct of the G5 was not lost on the commander in her.

"We're wasting time here," Usopp agreed.

Zoro, Brook, and Kin'emono drew their swords.

"Get out of our way!" Zoro shouted as their swords slashed to clear away the marines.

"So dependable! Our three swordsman!" Usopp cried as he, Nami, and Sanji climbed aboard Brownbeard.

"Rei, are you coming up?" Nami called down the red head, who was fighting off a couple of marines on her own.

"No, you guys go ahead!" Rei said giving them a thumbs up sign, "Besides I don't want to add any unnecessary weight for Brownbeard."

"Thanks," Brownbeard replied, "Good to know some of you Straw Hats can actually be thoughtful."

"Oh, that reminds me, where's Dr. Reindeer and Franky?" Rei asked as it suddenly dawned on her that the Straw Hats were missing a few crew members.

"Chopper went to go find the children so he can help them ween off their treatment," Nami said, "And Franky went back to the Sunny to get it ready for us."

"Ready? I'm about to run," Brownbeard called out.

"Yes!" the Straw Hats on his back replied.

The marines started to fire their bullets but Zoro, Brook, and Kin'emon easily blocked them all with their swords. Rei looked around the laboratory to get a better gauge on her surroundings when something green caught the corner of her eye that wasn't Zoro's hair.

"Hey guys," Rei called as she ran next to Brownbeard, "I think we forgot about the dragon."

Indeed, the dragon they had found while running from the poisonous gas was standing quietly by himself in the corner.

"I wonder why he doesn't fly," Sanji said as he sat on Brownbeard's back.

"He doesn't fly now because he got injected with sedatives," Brownbeard explained.

"So once the sedatives wear off…" Rei started to say but then her mind focused on something new.

In front of her, Zoro was about to cut through a group of marines when his sword was suddenly stopped. He was at a stand still with a woman. Rei realized that the woman who had stopped it was the one named Tashigi. There was something odd between Zoro and that woman. Rei could sense it. She ran a little bit more ahead to hear the conversation as she avoided a couple of attacks in the process.

"Captain Tashigi!" the marines cried.

"Wow, you became a Captain, Copy-Cat?" Zoro said, as he pushed his sword up against Tashigi's, "Too bad you have no fighting spirit."

"Copy-Cat?" Rei asked out loud, while nonchalantly unarming one of the marines and sending him flying into the arms of another one.

Zoro leapt over Tashigi and ran forward towards the gate. _Is she not going to fight back?_ Rei wondered.

"That's right. Just go ahead," Tashigi called back to him as she stared at the Straw Hat.

 _Is she letting us go?_ , Rei thought. She was clearly puzzled by this woman.

"G5!" Tashigi called to her men, "This is no time for a fight! Go the passage at the back now!"

"So their leader finally decides to show up," Rei muttered to herself as she ran past the marines.

"The only gate in the building is closing now," Tashigi shouted out for everyone to hear, "We need to leave now!"

"Caesar is trying to fence us in," Rei observed as they started to hear the alarm go off to signal the door closing.

Suddenly, Robin dropped down from the sky. She had used her devil fruit powers to make wings out of her hands. She landed gracefully on top of Brownbeard's back.

"Robin-chwan!" Sanji called out lovingly.

"I thought you were with Luffy," Rei called out to her.

"Luffy asked me to do something," Robin said with a smile.

Rei started to ask Robin what Luffy had requested when she was interrupted by a sudden explosion at the front of the building. Caesar had shot a cannon through the wall to allow the poison gas from the outside come into the lab.

"Not again," Rei groaned, "More running?"

"Enough already!" Brook cried.

Zoro, Brook, and Kin'emon were the first of their group to dish through the gate and they waited with baited breath for the rest of the Straw Hats to come through. Rei was next and she stood by the door while the marines rushed past her. All at once, Brownbeard sailed through the cracks of the door, along with Nami, Sanji, Robin, and Usopp.

"Where's Tashigi-chan?" one of the men called.

Rei was curious and she looked past the gate to see what the woman was up to.

"Don't stop! Run straight through!" Tashigi called out to her men.

 _She's waiting for all her men to come through!,_ Rei realized. A group of G5 marines, safely in Building B, were calling out for their captain to come back. Rei gritted her teeth and ran back through the door and towards Tashigi.

"REI!" the Straw Hats gasped.

"What are you doing?!" Zoro shouted, "Come back!"

Rei ignored them and she stood next to Tashigi.

"Hey," Rei said, "You should get through the door."

"Not until my men are through!" Tashigi said sternly without giving a second glance at Rei, "And you should go too."

"Not until you are through," Rei replied.

The poisonous gas started to come closer and closer and the gates was seconds away from slamming shut. _I hope I don't regret this,_ Rei thought.

"I don't know who you are and you probably have no idea who I am," Rei said to Tashigi, "But please don't hate me for this."

"What?" Tashigi asked, confused at what this masked stranger was telling her.

Suddenly, Rei's chains wrapped around Tashigi's waist and she ran through the gate, dragging Tashigi along behind her.

"Tashigi-chan!" the marines cried as their leader was safely on the other side just as the doors closed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Tashigi yelled at Rei as Rei flung her to her men, releasing her from the chains, "There are still many Navy soldiers out there."

"And there's a lot of them here too," Rei replied, her voice tone and calm although she felt very irritated by Tashigi's behavior, "Would you rather lead the dead than the living?"

"Our colleagues are out there," Tashigi screamed as the G5 men wrestled to hold her back, "I need to go back!"

"It's too late!" Rei yelled back, "You need to move on with the rest of your group to the next building."

"You wouldn't understand!" Tashigi shouted at her, "You're a pirate!"

"I'm more than just a pirate!" Rei shouted back, silencing Tashigi and the rest of the room. She took a deep breath and spoke in her normal, calm tone, "Right now, your men need a leader and you can't lead them if you're dead. What kind of Captain are you?"

"I don't need a lecture from a pirate!" Tashigi spat.

"I'm a genius," Rei shouted to silence the woman before returning to her calm tone, "and I'm right."

The two women glared at each other for a minute before each of their crew called out to them.

"Tashigi-chan," the marines yelled out in relief as they hugged their captain.

"REI!" Nami shouted from Brownbeard's back, "We have to go!"

Rei broke her concentration on Tashigi and she made her way to Brownbeard. She jumped on his back and sat cross legged, facing behind him so that she can watch Tashigi and her men as Brownbeard took them farther and farther away.

Rei wasn't sure what compelled her to save Tashigi. Part of her wanted nothing to do with the marine but another part of Rei didn't want to see Tashigi die. Rei frowned instinctively as she contemplated the situation.

Another reason why Rei saved her was because she felt annoyed that a leader of the marines would just throw her life out so recklessly. Didn't she realize that the G5 were a ragtag group of men that severely needed leadership to help guide them? Their chance of survival would go drastically down if something were to happen to Tashigi now. Maybe it was the commander in her that made Rei want to jump in to correct an officer's mistake.

She definitely didn't like the marine that was for sure but Rei knew that dying from poison was not a death worthy of any fighter. She didn't even know how strong a fighter Tashigi is anyways. _Maybe that's why I saved her,_ Rei thought to herself, _so that I can fight her and see who is stronger._


	16. Rei and the Dragon

"What were you thinking?!" Zoro yelled at Rei.

The Straw Hats were all sitting on top of Brownbeard as they raced to the third building to find the missing children.

Not surprisingly, Zoro was not too thrilled at the stunt Rei pulled with Tashigi. The other Straw Hats weren't so pleased either.

"She needed my help," Rei said.

"That was really reckless, Rei," Nami said with a frown, "You could've died."

"I was right by the door," Rei argued, "And could've easily come in before the doors closed."

"Why did you do it, Rei?" Robin asked calmly.

"I didn't want her to die," Rei said simply.

Rei looked back at the Tashigi, who was standing in front of the door and crying over the loss of her men. Soon, the G5 were too far away for the Straw Hats to see as they ran further into the building.

Zoro gripped his sword and decided to take his anger out on Brownbeard. "Hey! Go faster!"

"You people!" Brownbeard yelled back, "When did all of you get back on?! Now it's too heavy even for me!"

"We have no choice," Zoro replied, "We are too tired and we don't want to run."

"That's the worst reason ever!" Brownbeard called back, "Get off of me!"

Rei felt a new and looming presence with her Observational Haki and she looked around her but didn't see anything. Her eyes caught Zoro's and she noticed that he felt the same thing. She spotted his green hair and it reminded her of something else that had slipped everyone else's minds.

"It's a shame," Rei said looking around the room, "You guys didn't bring the dragon with you."

"Oh the dragon!" Sanji replied snapping his fingers, "I totally forgot about it!"

Suddenly, Sanji's expression changed and his face grew serious. "Guys, I'll be right back."

"What?!" Usopp cried, "Where are you going?"

"A lady is in need," Sanji said before dashing off with his sky walk.

"Don't worry about that kinky cook," Zoro said as he continued to look forward, "He'll be fine."

"I felt a mysterious presence back there and you did too," Rei said softly.

"Yeah," Zoro said, "Curly Brow will take care of it."

Rei heard wings flapping overhead and she turned towards the sound.

"It's the dragon!" she shouted, "It made it!"

"That's the dragon-san from earlier!" Brook said, recognizing the green beast that had saved them briefly from the gas.

"He looks a little different," Nami said nervously, "The look in his eyes…"

"The sedatives…" Rei said as she reached for her weapons, "They've worn off."

As if on cue, the dragon breathed a burst of flames towards the group. The Straw Hats screamed and narrowly avoided it as Brownbeard quickened his pace. The dragon roared and continued to unleash his fiery attacks on the Straw Hats.

"Hey, hey! That dragon is out of control!" Usopp screamed, his eyes bugging out as they shined with terror.

"He does look violent," Zoro said with a fiendish smile.

"The fire he breathes looks hot," Robin replied calmly.

"Don't say it so coolly!" Usopp yelled back.

The dragon raged on, spurting fire everywhere around the building. The Straw Hats could start to feel the temperature steadily climb up and they started to sweat. They took off their winter jackets as it was no longer needed. The flames started to engulf the tanks that were standing along the walls as well.

"B Building is a sea of flames," Robin observed.

"If the tanks catch fire and explode," Rei added, "The poisonous gas from the outside will leak in and we'll all die."

"Can you guys not say that so calmly and do something?!" Usopp cried out.

Rei turned to look at the sniper. "I'm on it."

She took off her cloak and she draped it over Brownbeard's back. Next, she unhooked her utility belt and took out one of her chain weapons with a dagger hanging on the end. She wrapped the chain around her right arm and held the dagger in her hand.

"Watch over my stuff, okay?" she asked Robin.

Robin nodded with a smile. "Of course."

"Linked Haki!" Rei shouted as she suddenly disappeared off of Brownbeard's back and landed straight on the dragon's. Zoro sat back and leaned his head against Brownbeard's back as he observed their masked crewmember in action. He loved a good fight.

Rei caught her breath as she felt the aftershock of her haki. The dragon was close enough that she didn't sustain any damage but it still knocked the air out of her lungs. The dragon reared back as it tried to shake her off and it flew around the building.

The dragon turned to glare at his attacker and he opened his mouth to let out a stream of fire. With a swing of her arm, Rei looped the chain around it's head and caught the hilt of the dagger with her free hand. The chain was now suspended across the dragon's mouth and Rei pulled at it hard.

The dragon bit down as it tried to break the chains but the chain was strong and stayed intact. Rei braced her feet against the spikes on the dragon's back and she leaned back, using the tension of the chains to steer the dragon in the direction she wanted to.

"WHOA! REI IS RIDING THE DRAGON!" Usopp shouted, his eyes now shining with excitement, "SO COOL!"

The dragon took a deep breath in as it started to collect flames in his mouth.

"Oh no you don't," Rei said as she punched the dragon hard on its back, while still holding onto the chain with her free hand.

The shock of the punch caused the dragon to swallow back the flame. It sputtered and wavered a little as it choked on it's own fire. Rei steadied herself for the turbulence as she held firmly on to her chain.

Suddenly, she felt an attack coming towards her and she turned the chain sharply to the side so that the dragon and her would avoid getting hurt. She looked down to see Kin'emon with his sword.

Usopp gasped at the samurai, "You're going to kill Rei!"

Zoro sat up and pulled out his sword as he examined the samurai with his good eye. "Oy, what do you think you're doing?"

Kin'emon's eyes raged with fury as he looked up at the dragon and Rei. "Apologies. I do not mean to harm you, Dragon Rider, but I can't hold my own when it comes to dragons. I have a grudge against them and I will definitely take him down."

"What?!" Rei said, "But I have total control of him. There's no need to -"

"Know It All! Get off his back!" Zoro called out, "He's serious about killing that dragon!"

Rei hesitated as she did not want to lose such a cool ride but the look in Kin'emon's eyes made her realize this was not the time to play around. "Okay! I'm going to jump off. Get ready!"

She quickly let go of the chain with one hand and pulled it back around the dragon's head towards her with the other hand. The dragon was now free and Rei hurriedly jumped off. She somersaulted in the air, dodging a few bursts of flames from her former pet, before landing on both feet on Brownbeard's back.

She looked over at Kin'emon. "All yours."

The dragon, angrier than ever, glared down at the Straw Hats as it reared it's head and prepared to set them ablaze.

"Here he comes," Brook said, as the dragon shot out a giant burst of flames.

"Foxfire Style!" Kin'emon shouted as he charged towards the flame with his sword, "Flame Split!"

The flames split apart and avoided Brownbeard and his passengers.

"He cut the flames again," Zoro said to himself.

Brook pulled out his sword from the cane as he and Kin'emon dashed towards the dragon, leaping off the back of Brownbeard.

"Gavotte Bon en Avant!" Brook shouted.

"Flame Flash!" Kin'emon cried.

Their swords slashed through the dragon, sending him flying backwards and landing hard onto the ground.

"My ride," Rei said sadly.

Brownbeard kept running forth as Brook and Kin'emon stood by the dragon. Kin'emon was repeatedly kicking the mythical creature's body. "Damn you! Damn you!" he shouted.

"Both of you! Get back already!" Nami shouted interrupting the samurai's bout of anger, "Or we'll leave you here!"

Rei looked quizzically at Kin'emon and wondered where the samurai's hatred for dragons stemmed from. The two swordsman ran back towards the group and jumped hurriedly onto Brownbeard's back.

A roar from the third floor walkway interrupted Rei's thoughts on the matter. She looked up to see the giant children running towards a big and hairy beast.

"Chopper!" Robin gasped as the beast held onto a couple of children while some others were beating him with metal pipes, "Why has he transformed into a monster?"

Rei had known about Chopper's many forms but she had never seen it for herself. Her eyes widened at the sight. Was that really the same being as her adorable Dr. Reindeer?

"What is he doing?!" Zoro growled.


	17. the Biscuit Room

Rei watched in horror, while still riding on Brownbeard's back, as the monster form of Chopper was viciously attacked by the children. All children, big and small, were kicking and punching the reindeer Zoan. Some even held tightly onto metal pipes and used it to strike.

"Why are they attacking him?" Rei asked the group.

"Candy!" the children cried, "Give us the candy!"

"Caesar has been using the candy to control the children," Nami said without taking her eyes off of their furry friend, "It has addictive stimulants in them and now the children are going crazy from the withdrawal."

Rei's eyes widened. "How can someone do that?! They're just kids!" she shouted.

"Yeah," Usopp said softly, "Chopper is doing his best to treat the kids and take them home."

"He can't stop the children without hurting them," Nami said as they watched Chopper suffer the attacks.

Rei wordlessly clipped back on her utility belt and tied her cloak around her shoulders.

"Rei?" Usopp asked, noticing their member's movements.

"I'll go help," Rei said before vanishing using her Linked Haki and appearing beside the reindeer, who was now knocked down onto the floor. Rei stumbled a little bit as she landed, as she rode through the aftershock while Chopper's body started to go back to his original form as his rumble ball's effects had worn off.

"Rei!" Chopper cried out with tears in his eyes.

"Idiot!" Zoro called up to her, "You're pushing yourself way too much! Stop using your haki!"

Rei felt a little blood rise into her mouth and lifted her mask to spit it out. The distance was definitely further than when she jumped on the dragon. It was taking a toll on her.

The kids rushed past Chopper and Rei. "Stop!" Chopper cried, "Don't go towards the Biscuit Room! Don't eat the candy! It'll ruin your bodies!"

Rei picked up Chopper and carried him on the side. "You can't move can you, Dr. Reindeer?" she asked as she ran towards the kids.

"It's a side effect of the rumble ball," Chopper said defeatedly, "We need to stop those kids!"

Rei continued running without a response. The giant children had long strides which made it unusually hard for Rei to keep up.

Suddenly, she looked to her side and saw that the rest of the Straw Hats had joined her up on the walkway.

"Everybody!" Chopper shouted in surprise.

"Are you okay, Chopper-san?! Yohohohoho," Brook laughed.

"The kids have gotten more violent," Robin said as they ran along behind Rei and Chopper.

"I'm so glad you guys are here," Chopper cried in Rei's arms.

"Tell us what's going on!" Usopp shouted.

"Caesar is trying to turn them into giants," Chopper explained through his tears, "In order to make them into demonic soldiers."

"Just as we thought," Nami murmurred.

"I can't handle them alone anymore," Chopper cried, "The Biscuit Room is to the left. That's where all the candies are!"

"You aren't alone," Rei said tightening her grip on him.

"Mocha is the only child in her right mind and she's helping me," Chopper said, "She has the candies and she's trying to keep it away from the other children. Mocha is in danger!"

They entered the Biscuit Room just in time to see the gang of children heading towards the girl Chopper said was Mocha. She was one of the largest child there with short black hair and big brown eyes. She clutched a very large, wrapped candy to her chest as she stared in fear at her friends.

The Biscuit Room, Rei observed, was definitely where the children were usually kept. It had rainbows and flowers painted along it's blue walls and ceiling. It was two large rooms joined together by a large archway in the middle. Toy seagulls and airplanes hung down and there were toys scattered everywhere. The ceiling was two-stories high and there was a balcony with railings along the second floor.

They were getting closer to the children but it was still too far for Rei to stop them from doing anything to Mocha.

"Mil Fleur!" Robin cried as two giant hands sprouted in front of them, blocking the kids' path.

"Go forward, while I hold them here!" Robin shouted to the Straw Hats.

Rei handed Chopper to Nami, "I'll help Robin."

"Okay," Nami said with a nod, taking the reindeer into her arms.

Robin flinched as the children started to beat her giant hands and some started to bite hard on it too.

"They're not going to stop so easily," Rei said.

"They'll stop at nothing when they're in that state," Robin added, gritting her teeth.

Two of the largest children in the front had made their way to Mocha and were trying hard to grab the orange and white striped candy out of her hands.

"No, everybody!" Mocha cried as she struggled, "I can't give it to you! It's evil candy! We asked Chopper-chan and the others to help us! Don't you want to go home?"

"Give it to me!" a large blonde boy shouted as he gripped the candy tightly.

Rei threw out her chains and wound around it the blonde boy and pulled him back as hard as she could. The boy fell to the ground, struggling against the chains.

"I'm sorry for hurting you!" Rei shouted, trying to sound as apologetic as she could. She used all of her strength to bind him and create some distance from him and Mocha.

"It's no use!" Chopper cried helpelessly from Nami's arms, "Run! Just run, Mocha!"


	18. Monet

Mocha turned towards the archway, with tears and fear in her eyes, as she ran as fast as she could with the candy and headed for the door in the back. The children chased after her.

She was about a few feet away from the second part of the Biscuit Room when out of the blue, a burst of wind spiraled around it and it was instantly covered in snow, blocking the exit.

Rei looked up towards the balcony as she felt the presence of a new person there. A woman with green wings and talons for feet stood on the railings. She had long green hair and was wearing a green tank top with the words "Happy" written across.

"It's Monet-san!" Mocha shouted excitedly.

"Tch. Who is that woman?" Zoro asked.

"Oh, it's her!" Usopp shouted at the swordsman, "It's the bird woman I saw earlier! I told you I saw someone like that!"

"Bird woman?" Rei said, tilting her head in question.

"When we were on the burning side," Robin explained.

"Monet-san!" Mocha cried, "Please help me!'

"Mocha, stay back!" Rei shouted out.

"Mocha, it's not nice to keep it all to yourself," the bird woman said softly, "You have to share the candies with everyone."

"What?" Mocha asked confused.

The bird woman closed her wings around her and a cold gust of wind blew around her. When she opened her wings, the wind burst forward, sending harsh snow flying towards the children and the Straw Hats.

"She uses sorcery!" Kin'emon shouted.

"The Yuki Yuki no Mi (snow snow fruit)," Rei said as she tried to shield her eyes from the snow, "This one is going to be tricky."

"So she's a Logia-type," Zoro said as he reached for his swords.

The bird woman flapped her wings, continuing the blizzard effect in the room, and she licked her lips in delight. "Mocha, those sweet candies are for everyone."

She flew up into the air and hovered over the snow covered exit, "Stop fighting. Share them and eat them together as usual."

"No! We shouldn't eat them anymore," the child exclaimed.

"You're a difficult girl," the bird woman said disapprovingly.

"Get out of our way!" Usopp exclaimed, "Who are you anyway?!"

"It's a shame," the bird woman replied, "I know about you people so well. The infamous Straw Hats."

She rested her eyes on Rei, "Even the newest recruit, the former Commander Rei."

Rei tightened her hold on her daggers. She had freed the blonde hair boy once he had stopped struggling when the bird woman appeared.

"I'm happy to see all of you," Monet replied, "I'm Monet, a Snow Snow Fruit Eater".

Her wings started to flap and the wind turned even harsher as more snow blew into their face, blinding them momentarily.

"We figured," Rei muttered through the blizzard.

"Usopp! Brook!" Robin suddenly shouted at the pair, "I'll try to hold off the children here. You two go find some Sea Prism Stone handcuffs!"

"Why?" Usopp asked.

"Luffy asked me to find them," Robin said.

That's all the two needed to know and they nodded their heads.

"I'll come with you!" Kin'emon shouted, "I have to find my son!"

"Okay, let's go!" Usopp called as the three of them headed from the entrance they came in from, leaving the rest of the Straw Hats to deal with Monet.

The room quickly filled up with snow as it swirled around the pirates. The children had regained their shock and were running again towards Mocha and heading for the doorway of the second room. Rei pitied the rest of her crew members, who had all taken off their winter jackets earlier when riding on Brownbeard. They must be freezing, Rei thought, Especially Nami! She's just in her bikini top.

Robin crossed her hands in front of her."I'll need to hold the children off even if it's just for a little bit," she said to the Straw Hats.

Monet flew towards Robin as she held two large ice picks in her hands. They were the size of baseball bats and were dangerously sharp at the metal ends. She lunged for Robin's back, her prey unaware of her incoming assault.

Rei immediately ducked in between them and blocked the ice picks with her two daggers. Robin heard the clash of metal behind her.

"Rei!" she gasped as she turned to look.

"Run, Robin," Rei said not taking her eyes off of Monet, "Stop the children."

Monet laughed as she started to retreat back into the air, "Silly commander."

"Robin! Rei!" Nami shouted as she and Chopper ran towards their friends.

"Go stop the children," Rei repeated, this time to Nami.

Monet swooped around and she gripped her ice picks. She spread her wings and sailed downwards with amazing speed. This time her target was both Nami and Robin.

Rei started to run forward to block the attack again but Zoro got there first. A loud clang of metal resounded through the room his swords met her ice picks.

"You're Pirate Hunter Zoro," Monet smiled wickedly, "With a 120 million berry bounty."

"You four!" Zoro shouted at Nami, Robin, Rei, and Chopper, "Go stop those kids!"

"I'm staying with you," Rei replied as she continued to keep Monet in her eyeline.

"Fool!" Zoro yelled, "We need to save the kids! She's a logia-type. I can take care of her!"

"Someone needs to guard the door so she doesn't run after Chopper and them!" Rei shot back as she stood her ground, putting herself between Monet and Nami. If Monet attacked them again, Rei was prepared to fight her off.

Monet licked her lips and attempted to fight off the swordsman. They were interlocked in a deadly dance of clashing metal. Her ice picks charged forth with blurring speed but Zoro easily blocked it with his swords.

The snow on the exit was now gone and the kids were leaving the Biscuit Room, chasing after brave little Mocha who still held onto the candy.

"We need to stop the children," Robin said to Nami softly.

Nami hesitated as she looked between Rei and Zoro.

"Go," Rei said, with her back turned to Nami as she stayed alert at their enemy ahead, "I'll be fine."

Nami nodded, although Rei could not see it, and she ran towards the door with Chopper in hand.


	19. Weakness

Nami, Robin, and Chopper rushed across the snowy Biscuit Room towards the exit and after the children. Snow blew around them harshly as Zoro's sword clashed with Monet's ice pick. It was the first time Rei had a chance to focus on the swordsman's fighting skills and she was mesmerized by the ease and grace of his moves.

Out of the blue, Monet disappeared, which caught both Rei and Zoro off guard. Rei's Observational Haki was activated though so she didn't lose Monet entirely. Rei knew better than to let her guard down around a Logia user.

That's how she sensed Monet at Nami's feet.

"Nami! Get out of the way!" Rei shouted as she rushed over and pushed Nami and Chopper to the side.

"Know it All!" Zoro shouted as he ran towards them, "She's my opponent not yours!"

"What are you two doing?!" Nami asked exasperatedly as she fell to the ground with the reindeer in her arms.

Rei crossed her daggers across her chest just in time to block Monet's attack as she appeared from the snow and plunged her ice picks downwards. Zoro skidded to a stop and avoided a collision with Rei just in time.

Monet licked her lips as she watched Nami scramble to her feet. "What a shame."

"Attacking the weaker ones," Rei said calmly as she looked into the harpy's yellow eyes, "A strategic move."

"Now's not the time to compliment her, Rei!" Nami yelled at her before running towards the exit with Chopper.

"It's better to finish off the easier foes first," Monet said with a smile, which caused Nami to stop in her tracks.

"They may be weaker fighters compared to Zoro," Rei said, "But they're definitely not easy to beat."

"And what about you?" Monet said as she licked her lips and launched another wave of attacks. This time on Rei. "Where do you stand?"

Rei did not respond as she blocked Monet's incoming attacks with just as much as ease as Zoro. Her chains swung around her as she turned and wove around Monet. She used both the chains and the daggers to stop the ice picks from getting remotely close to injuring her. Rei also made sure to keep herself in between Monet and the door so that Nami, Robin, and Chopper could go after the children.

It was Zoro's turn to watch Rei battle the harpy. He had already seen her in a fight back on Beffi Island so he had expected that Rei could deflect the bird woman's attacks easily. He was still impressed though by how Rei was constantly able to stay aware of her surroundings while locked into combat.

However, he spotted a pattern in Rei's movements and he felt a knot in his stomach. If his assumptions correct, he knew that it was only a matter of time before Monet was going to win the battle.

"Rei! Move out of my way!" Nami shouted suddenly from behind Rei.

Rei stopped and looked at the orange haired navigator as she sprinted past Rei with her Clima-Tact whirling around her hand.

"HEAT EGG!" Nami shouted as she plunged the hot end of the Clima-Tact against Monet's wing.

Monet screamed out in pain as part of her wing dissolved like snow.

"The heat worked," Nami said in delight as she jumped back, "Just as I thought."

Monet landed on the ground as she clutched the damaged part of her wing with her other one. She glared up at Nami, who was now running back towards the entrance and catching up with Robin.

"You should think twice before coming after us!" Nami shouted, "We're stronger than you think!"

"Yeah! So don't come after us!" Chopper said in support.

"Dr. Reindeer, you're really not in the position right now to be acting tough," Rei said under her breath so that no one could hear her.

Nami, Robin, and Chopper stopped in their tracks as snow built up in the exit and blocked them from escaping again. At the same time, the snow at Nami's feet started to wrap around her legs and moved up towards the rest of her body and over her head.

"It's so cold!" Nami cried, as she protectively held Chopper up over her head, "I can't move!"

Chopper screamed as suddenly the mound of snow in front of him turned into a snarling face. It was made out of snow but it had sharp, icy fangs that hung from it's open jaw as it started to come towards Chopper.

"Cuatro Mano!" Robin cried as four large hands came out from the snow, "SPANK!"

The hands quickly pushed the snow mound apart and the snow figure burst into separate chunks of snow, freeing Nami.

"Thanks, Robin!" Nami yelled as she got back up to her feet and made a grab for Chopper.

The snow began to swirl around them and up towards the center of the room. Monet started to appear as the snow collected itself to form her body. "Sorry, but these children are precious test subjects to Caesar and I am responsible for protecting Caesar and his experiments," she stated.

"Move out of my way!" Zoro cried to Nami and Robin as he slashed through the snow blocking the exit, creating a large triangle shaped space for them to run through. "You guys go ahead!"

"You people are so uncool," Monet said as her corporeal body finished forming from the snow, "Every single day, we treat the children nicely and allow them to live in great comfort. What you people are trying to do is take away these 'precious treasures' from us 'foster parents'."

Monet's yellow eyes stared into the burning green eyes of Rei's, "You people are like pirates."

"So you have no problem with that, right?" Zoro said with a cold laugh.

"I said you people are uncool," Monet said as she swept down towards Rei, "Stop interfering with my duty!"

Blades of ice started to form around the feathers of Monets' wings and she held it across her face. "Sword Snow!"

Her sharp feathers gleamed in the light as she glided down towards Rei. "Skin Sword!" Monet growled.

Immediately, Zoro placed himself in front of Rei and blocked Monet's wings with his swords.

"Zoro!" Rei gasped at the swordsman's back. He was so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Get out of the way," Zoro growled harshly, "You won't be able to win."

He didn't realize how tight the space was between Rei and Monet. The fact that he could feel Rei's breath on his neck was distracting but in a pleasurable way but this was not the time or the place for that.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked, taking a few steps backwards. But she did not get a response back from Zoro as Monet swung her blades at him.

Rei was confused and hurt as she watched Zoro locked in an intense and lethal dance with Monet. Did he think she was an inadequate fighter? What did he mean by saying she wasn't able to win? Why not?

She stood silently and watched intently at the scene in front of her. Was there something that he was doing that she wasn't? She noticed that Zoro was blocking Monet's attacks but never attacking Monet himself. _What is going on? s_ he thought.

Monet was aware of it too. "You've only been defending yourself," she said with a lick of her lips, "Why is it?"

Zoro remained silent.

"Could it be what I think it is?" Monet asked with a smile as she glanced at looked at both Rei and Zoro, "To be honest, I didn't think I could beat either of you but maybe I can."

"What?" Rei asked, her eyes narrowing at the harpy, "What do you mean?!"

"You both have a weakness that will prevent you from defeating me," Monet said, swooping in the air as she laughed in delight.

"Weakness?" Zoro growled as he raised his sword, "I dare you to say that on the ground."

Rei turned her attention to the swordsman, "What is my weakness?"

"Fool! Focus on the bird woman!" Zoro snapped.

"Answer my question!" Rei shouted angrily, "What do you think is my weakness?"

"Oh. What's this?" Monet giggled, "A lover's spat?"

She glided down towards Rei and Zoro and hovered right above them. "Come on, Pirate Hunter. Why don't you tell the Commander what her weakness is? I know you see it too."

"See what?" Rei demanded as she kept her focus on Zoro, "What do you see?"

Zoro gritted his teeth. He knew what Monet was referring to and yes, he did agree that Rei would not be able to defeat Monet because of it. He wasn't an idiot, though. He knew that if he told Rei, it would upset her. She was a fighter just as much as he was and she had the confidence and arrogance of one as well. Between her hurt puppy dog look and Monet's arrogant one, Zoro could feel the annoyance build up inside of him.

"I see someone who is more interested in what I think of her than on protecting her own friends," he snapped at Rei and immediately regretted his outburst.

Rei inhaled sharply and took another step back away from Zoro. She felt as though she was slapped across the face or reprimanded like a school girl. She felt hurt, stung, and indignant all at once but she knew Zoro had a point. Now was not the time to focus on herself. She looked back at the bird woman.

"What makes you think we will lose against you?" she asked to Monet.

She tried to sound as cool as possible but Zoro noticed the slight tremor of anger in her voice and he grimaced. _Damn it,_ he thought, _I hurt her._

"Because I'm still standing here," Monet replied smugly down to Rei, "If you were going to beat me, you would've done it a long time ago."

"Then come down now," Rei hissed, "And I'll prove you wrong."


	20. Killer Instinct

Sounds of footsteps interrupted Zoro, Monet, and Rei's concentration as they heard the yells of marines. Rei turned to look at the doorway and her eyes widened as she spotted Sanji leading the group with his fist in the air.

"Charge!" he shouted.

"Why are you leading them?!" Zoro screamed angrily at the cook.

"Brother! I don't see the children but I see Pirate Hunter Zoro!" one of the G5 men shouted to Sanji.

"Since when did you become their brother, Sanji?" Rei asked incredulously.

"Everyone's trying to take away the children," Monet said with a frown, "I won't allow it."

"He's such a pain," Sanji sighed as he raced past Zoro, "Ignore him! He'll take care of it!"

"Oy!" Zoro shouted frustratingly, "Your darling Nami and Robin went ahead. Just go already."

"Oh! What good information, even for a fool!" Sanji said as he gave a thumbs up towards Zoro. Then he spotted Rei, "Oh, Rei-chan you're here too!"

His eyes then fell on Monet, the bird woman with skin as white as snow. A heavy nosebleed sent Sanji flying backwards into the ground. "There's a cutie behind them!" he shouted.

"Sanji!" Rei cried out, "Are you okay?!"

"Let him bleed to death!" Zoro shouted angrily towards the chef as the rest of the marine's started to catcall Monet, "Let them all die. See if I care!"

The snow started to swirl around the room again. Damn! Rei thought, I got distracted.

She readied herself as she tried to sense Monet's next attack as Zoro did the same. They were about a foot away from each other with their backs against the exit to the Biscuit Room. The G5 marines around them started to panic.

"What is this snow?!" they shouted, "What is going on?!"

Monet abruptly came out from behind one of the marines, in her snow sculpture form. She loomed over him with her sharp fangs and her snow wings spread out. The snow at his feet wrapped around him and trapped him into place. He screamed as she lunged down and sank her fangs into his shoulder.

Rei watched in shock as his shoulders started to get covered in snow. Monet chomped down and the man crumpled onto the ground as she disappeared into the snow. Rei saw that the man now had a big chunk missing from his shoulder, while the edges were encased with snow. Monet had turned his shoulder into snow and had bitten it clean off. _So that's what she was trying to do with Chopper_ , Rei thought to herself.

The marines raised their guns and shot at Monet as she reappeared but the bullets flew through her without any damage. The snow filled up the holes which the bullets made as she glared at the shooters with her monstrous yellow eyes.

Rei stood frozen as she watched Monet wreak havoc among the marines. Rei was a pirate now so she wasn't sure if she should be intervening in a marine fight. She looked over at Zoro. He was standing his ground so she decided to follow his lead.

"Rei," Zoro said as he attempted to apologize for his outburst earlier.

"Focus on the fight, Pirate Hunter," Rei said coldly.

The use of his alias took Zoro aback as that was what she referred to him when they first met as strangers. She had disliked him at the beginning for being a bounty hunter, something she despised. _Are we back to square one?,_ Zoro thought.

"Rei," he started again.

"Shut up and focus," Rei snapped.

Zoro scowled and turned his attention to Caesar Clown's assistant. If that Know-It-All doesn't want to talk, then so be it. The whole situation was ridiculous. _Fine_ , Zoro huffed in his mind, _The hell if I care about that damn woman's feelings._

It was getting harder and harder for Rei to watch as Monet attacked one marine after another without doing anything. When Rei was just about to reach her breaking point, she saw a figure burst through the air and slice through Monet's snow wing, drawing blood.

The figure landed, revealing that it was Tashigi.

"She can use haki?" Rei said in surprise.

The marines cheered at the entrance of their captain. Tashigi looked in Rei and Zoro's direction.

"We sealed off the door to the room to prevent the gas from flowing in," Tashigi said, "but we don't know when it might start leaking again. There's not much time."

She turned to her men. "Everybody, do all you can to save the children!"

"What about you?" the men cried.

"I'm going to stay here," she said.

She walked towards Zoro and Rei before stopping and facing back to Monet. She positioned herself between the two dueling sides.

"What are you thinking, Copy-Cat?" Zoro asked.

"I think you need my help here," Tashigi said.

"What?" Zoro and Rei said at the same time, as Sanji and the rest of the G5 marines rushed past them and out of the room.

"What are you doing here?!" Zoro shouted angrily at Tashigi.

Rei noticed it was same angry tone he usually had towards her, which made Rei clench her jaw. She didn't know why but it pissed her off.

"I'm free to do whatever I want," Tashigi said.

"We can take care of Monet!" Rei said, "We don't need you here."

"You are free to think whatever you want," Tashigi said.

"Well then," Zoro said raising his Shusui to Tashigi, "Am I free to take care of you first, since I'm a pirate and you're a Navy girl?"

Tashigi looked at Zoro, "You're not going to cut me, or that woman."

That caught both Rei and Zoro off guard. "You don't know that!" Zoro angrily shouted.

"That's just what I thought," Monet said happily.

Tashigi glared at Zoro, "You view women as inferior! You don't really try to fight us."

Rei blinked at Zoro. "Is that why you think I can't beat Monet? Because I'm a woman?"

"Idiot!" Zoro snapped, "That's not the reason. Don't listen to the Copy-Cat."

"I am not a Copy-Cat!" Tashigi shouted, "And I'm right. You don't take fights with female opponents seriously!"

Rei looked at Monet. "And what about me?" she asked loudly, "Why do you think you'd be able to beat me?"

"It's so obvious," Monet said with a lick of her lips. She giggled at the masked girl's naiveté, "In order stop me from going after your friends, you'll have to kill me and you can't do that. You don't have a killer's instinct."

Rei took an unconscious step back at Monet's words.

Monet laughed at Rei's silence, "You lack a fighting spirit. You save people rather than kill them. I saw you on the monitors. You even rescued this marine, a pirate's sworn enemy. When was the last time you took a life?"

Rei looked over at Zoro, who remained expressionless. _Is that what you think as well?_ , Rei wondered.

She found his answer in his lack of action as he didn't even try to argue with Monet. Zoro saw the confusion and hurt on Rei's face and held his swords tighter in his fists.

The harpy laughed again, breaking Rei's eye contact with Zoro. "One can't cut and the other can't kill. My, what a pair."

Zoro put his swords back into their scabbards as he found a spot on the ground to sit. He leaned against the exit's doorframe as he looked at Rei and Tashigi. "Know it All, let Tashigi fight Monet."

Rei blinked back at Zoro in surprise. "Our duty," Zoro said as he rested his arm against his knee, "is to keep her from going after our friends. We should just keep the bird woman away from the path."

"How can you take it so easy?!" Tashigi cried, "Don't you know we're out of time?"

"Then get it over quickly!" Zoro quipped.

Rei took a long angered breath and withdrew her weapons. On one hand, she badly wanted to pummel both Zoro and Monet to show them her strength but on the other hand, she also wanted to see Tashigi's fighting skills. Did Zoro think Tashigi was a better fighter than her?

She sat on the ground on the other end of the doorframe so that Zoro and her were each manning one side of the door. "Monet's all yours, Captain." Rei said softly, her voice dripping with disdain.


	21. A Cornered Animal

Rei and Zoro sat by the exit of the Biscuit Room as they watched Captain Tashigi fight the bird woman. Snow fell softly down from Monet's Snow Snow Fruit powers.

The harpy flew up into the sky and unleashed a slew of heavy snowballs down onto Tashigi. "Snow Rabbit!" Monet shouted as it bombarded down.

"Shave!" Tashigi yelled back as she quickly got out of the way.

"So she knows the Six Powers," Rei said , "Not surprising for Smoker's right hand woman."

"How come you're not attacking?" Zoro called out to Rei, "It's not often you actually listen to my orders."

"I want to see how strong the marine is," Rei stated.

Zoro stared at Rei, who was intensely focused at Tashigi. He didn't know what Rei was thinking and he was searching hard for clues. Even he knew he couldn't keep up with a mind of a genius but Rei had been acting peculiar even for her whenever Tashigi showed up.

One minute Rei was saving the Copy-Cat from poisonous gas and now she was witnessing her getting attacked by a snow woman. _What are you thinking?_ , Zoro wondered.

"You're letting your guard down," Rei said as Zoro jumped guiltily.

 _Tch_ , Zoro thought as he frowned, _She caught me._

Rei, on the other hand, was fuming on the inside. To think that the bird woman and maybe even the Navy captain thought she was an inadequate fighter tore at Rei. To make matters worse, even Zoro agreed with them. Rei was a little surprised at the lack of emotional control she was feeling but she was too angry to even think about suppressing it. It didn't help that Zoro seemed to concede to that marine and just let her do whatever she wanted to do. Who was Tashigi to him?

Rei started to focus on the battle ahead and her eyes fixated on the harpy like a wild animal stalking a prey. She felt a surge of energy that she had never felt before rise up in her. It was cold and hot at the same time like a strong mint that burned around her heart. She clutched her weapons closer towards her and waited for a moment to pounce. The energy made her feel restless and eager for battle.

Monet had started to blow out snow from her breath as it circulated around Tashigi. It was harsher and faster than what Zoro and Rei had seen before and Monet started to disappear into the winds.

"Whoa, whoa," Zoro said under his breath.

The wind started to pick speed as the snow started to fall harsher and faster. Rei and Zoro both had to hold their arms up over their face to block the force.

Monet reappeared and her wings had blades for feathers again. Her and Tashigi attacked each other, with Monet's blades clashing with Tashigi's sword. Suddenly, Monet was able to disarm Tashigi and sent her sword flying to the side as she bit down with her snow fangs into Tashigi's shoulder.

Tashigi cried out in pain as her blood spurted out of her shoulder. Rei noticed Zoro started to reach for his weapon. _No_ , she thought with anger, _This is my fight._

"Twin Talon Pierce!" Rei growled as she jumped to her feet and sent her two daggers flying through Monet's wings before Zoro could even blink.

The daggers pierced through the snow, drawing blood, as Monet released her iron grip on Tashigi to let out a blood curdling scream. Tashigi stumbled backwards and struggled to keep standing.

"Haki?" Monet gasped as her returned to her original form and blood dripped down her wings, "No, not just that…"

"Sea Prism Stone," Rei said as she pulled her daggers back into her hand and stood in front of Tashigi.

"Oy, Rei," Zoro said as he stood up.

"Stop," Rei said, her tone harsher and colder than Zoro had ever heard it before.

"You won't kill me," Monet said with a confident smile, "LIke I said, you lack a killer's instinct."

Rei remained silent with only one thing on her mind.

"Even your weapon," Monet continued to taunt, "Is for capturing and not for killing."

She pressed her lips against Rei's ears and whispered. "You're smart but you're weak. I'm going to kill you and then your precious swordsman too."

Rei jumped back away from Monet to create some space between the two and thats when Zoro and Monet fully realized the extent of Rei's change in demeanor. Something in Rei had snapped while watching Tashigi and Monet fight. Her eyes burned with murderous intent and anger raged around her.

Zoro watched from a distance as he felt the difference in Rei's presence. She was no longer the calm commander. Instead her energy felt dangerous and even violent. This was a different side to Rei he had ever seen.

"Oy! Rei!" he called out and Rei flashed her eyes in his direction.

He was shocked to see that the color of her eyes had changed. It was no longer the calm grassy green it normally was. In fact, now it was a bright green that seemed almost electric. It was as if the glare had energy in itself. Zoro felt the same energy within him, which stunned him even more. What was this sudden force and where did she get it from?

"You've underestimated me, snow woman," Rei said lowly as she sharply turned towards her prey as she narrowed her eyes.

Monet stood frozen to the ground as Rei closed the distance between them. Rei walked slowly and steadily without taking her eyes of Monet.

Something about the energy and her green eyes felt familiar to Zoro but he was sure he had never seen that look in Rei before. His mind raced as he tried to place exactly where he had felt that energy. His eyes widened as it slowly started to sink in. _That's my Haki_ , he thought.

"Of course, I'd rather save lives than take them," Rei continued, her voice harsh and filled with intensity as she got closer and closer to Monet, "But let me ask you this...Have you ever cornered a powerful animal and not see it fight back?"

Suddenly, Rei was behind Monet with her chains crossed around the bird woman's neck. "Because I haven't," Rei whispered in Monet's ear.

"What are you-" Monet started to say as her hands reached for the chains.

"Beak Snap," Rei said coolly as she sharply crossed the chains coated with her haki, decapitating the snow woman's head. It was so fast, Monet didn't even have a chance to scream.

Monet's head flew backwards but Rei didn't watch it land as she, herself, smoothly dropped down on one knee. Rei's head was kept low as an arc of Monet's blood flew up and over Rei's shoulder, leaving a trail of red on the white snow.

Zoro stood with his hand gripped tightly on his sword as took in what he just saw. He had instinctively reached for his weapons without even realizing it. His heart was beating wildly from the adrenaline of seeing such an act of violence. He could hardly believe it was Rei who could demonstrate such savage behavior. Is this from my haki? Is this what people see when I fight?, he wondered.

No one moved for several minutes as the snow started to melt in the room. Tashigi's hand was clasped over her mouth in horror while the other one covered her wounded shoulder. Zoro kept his attention on Rei, who had stayed kneeling.

After a moment, Rei finally got back up on her feet and wordlessly made her way towards the exit as if nothing had happened. She put her weapons back in her utility belt and casually wiped her hands with the fresh melted snow.


	22. Rei & Law

"Oy, Know it All," Zoro said as Rei got closer to him, "What just happened?"

Rei stopped and looked calmly at the swordsman. Her eyes had returned to it's normal color. "I fought and won."

"You know that's not what I was talking about," Zoro growled as he grabbed Rei's arm to stop her as she walked past, "What happened back there?"

"Don't you ever tell me I can't win a fight," Rei said as her eyes flashed with anger and she jerked her arm out of his grip, "And don't ever think my focus is on anything except for keeping my nakama safe."

"I didn't mean-" Zoro started to say but he was interrupted by the the sound of Tashigi falling into the snow. The pain from her shoulder finally got to her as she blacked out. Zoro and Rei turned to look at the unconscious captain.

Zoro sighed, "That woman…"

"Go get her," Rei said coldly as she walked away.

Zoro went over and lifted Tashigi over his shoulder. Without hesitation, he carried her to the door.

Rei felt a sharp pain in her chest, which was similar to the one she felt then Sanji-Nami had slipped in the snow but now there was also a small ache as well. _I really need to ask Chopper about this_ , she thought.

"Aren't pirates not supposed to help marines?" Rei asked.

"You saved her from the gas and just saved her from Monet," Zoro snapped.

Rei stayed silent as they exited the Biscuit Room. The man had a point.

"No response?" Zoro said with a smirk without looking at Rei, "Did I actually win an argument with the know it all?"

"Zoro," Rei said calmly.

"Yeah?" Zoro answered as he adjusted Tashigi's weight on his shoulder.

"You're going the wrong way," Rei said as she continued walking down the hallway in the direction that the rest of the Straw Hats and the group of marines went.

Zoro skidded to a halt as he realized that Rei was right and he was headed in an opposite direction. He gritted his teeth, made a u-turn, and ran past Rei.

"Don't walk, you idiot!" he said as his face turned red from embarrassment, "We need to catch up with the group."

"Okay," Rei sighed as she ran forward past the swordsman, "Just follow me."

There was no response. "Zoro?" Rei asked, without looking back and still running forward.

Finally she turned to look at what was keeping the swordsman from replying and she realized, to her shock, that he was gone.

"ZORO!" Rei shouted but there was no answer.

 _We were going in a straight line_ , Rei thought in surprise, _How did he get lost already?!_

She closed her eyes and focused her Observational Haki as she tried to find signs of Zoro and Tashigi. She felt someone's presence far away. She was sure it wasn't Zoro as the distance was too great but she felt something dark and very powerful. Whoever it was, he wasn't alone either. It could be Luffy, she thought to herself, He could be in danger!

She started to run in that direction. She pushed thoughts of Zoro and Tashigi to the back of her mind. Her priority was to her captain. That will never change. Whoever was ahead, it was too dangerous for her not to check it out. Her black cloak flew behind her as she raced through the building and down the halls.

Out of nowhere, the walls seemed to be cut in half as the ceiling started to lift up. The ground shook causing Rei to lose her footing but she regained her balance swiftly and continued to run. She didn't care what was going at the moment. She needed to find out what lay ahead.

She found herself standing in front of a room that had large metal tanks with SAD printed at the front. The room was dark with dimly lit green lights on the floor. It took Rei a moment to adjust her eyes. The room was cut in half as mysterious liquids bubbled out of the tanks. Pieces of the ceilings were falling down a well. So Law cut the room, Rei surmised.

It was a factory of some sort but Rei's attention was not on that. She was more focused on the three men in the room. Law was there with his sword resting against his shoulder as Vice Admiral Smoker walked next to him puffing on two cigars. Both looked to be heavily injured as the made their way towards Rei and the door. Neither of them seemed surprised to see her.

Rei looked behind them and her eyes widened at the sight of Vice Admiral Vergo. At least, she thought it was Vergo. Pieces of his body hung from the railing of the room and his head was cut sliced in half. Law's handywork no doubt, Rei thought, But what is Vergo doing here?!

"'Red Ghost' Rei," Smoker said as he stopped in front of her, while Law strolled past. Blood dripped from the side of Smoker's head but he continued to puff on his cigars as if it was not a severe wound, "I finally get to see the newest member of the Straw Hats."

"Smoker," Rei said casually as she turned to follow Law, as he was the dark presence Rei had felt, "I've had the pleasure meeting your subordinate."

"Tashigi," Smoker mumbled through his cigars, "Did they find the children?"

"I'm not sure. They went ahead of me to support my friends," Rei said honestly.

"So you're now with Straw Hat-ya," Law said without glancing back at her as he continued through the corridor, "That is a surprise."

"You know me?" Rei asked, taken aback as she quickened her pace to walk side by side with Law.

"How could I not know the person who helped convince the Five Elder Stars to let me be a Warlord?" Law responded.

"Actually," Rei correct, "I advised them not to accept you. You were too big of a risk."

"Ah," Law replied without a hint of surprise, "Maybe it was because you said no that made them do the opposite. It's good to know that Straw Hat-ya has a smart person on his side. It'll help our alliance."

"Alliance?" Rei asked.

"They didn't tell you?" Law asked raising an eyebrow.

"We've been busy," Rei said indignantly.

"I've formed an alliance with Straw Hat-ya," Law said, "We're going to take down one of the Four Emperors."

"Which one?" Rei asked cautiously.

"Don't worry," Law said, "It's not with your uncle."

"Word gets around fast," Rei commented. She wasn't used to so much of her business being known.

But I guess that's what I get for joining a notorious pirate crew, she thought to herself.

"We're going to take down Kaido, the King of Beasts," Law explained, "But before that we need to take down Joker."

"Doflamingo?" Rei asked, "Why him?"

Now it was Law's turn to be surprised. "Impressive knowledge."

"I'm a genius," Rei said, "Just because I stayed mostly on Beffi Island doesn't mean I didn't know how to get information."

"Yes," Law said with a small smile, "It definitely is good to know that you're part of the alliance, Rei-ya."


	23. R-66

Rei flinched at the sound of her real name, as she was not used to being called that, but then decided not to correct Law. It was just the way he talked and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Don't think that I won't do anything once we get off this island," Smoker said from behind them, making Rei jump. She had forgotten he was there.

"Let's focus on getting off first," Law replied.

They followed Law as they stopped in front of a very large metal bin with wheels on the bottom and two big ropes hanging from the front of it. The wheels were connected to a set of tracks on the ground. The bin was large enough to hold a hundred people and it stood about two stories high.

"Okay, grab a rope," Law said.

"Why?' Rei asked.

"This is the truck they use to transport SAD," Law said.

"SAD?" Rei asked remembering the letters on the tanks, "Is that what they're making back there?"

"Yes, it's a chemical they use to help grow artificial devil fruits," Law answered.

"Artificial devil fruits?" Rei asked in surprise, "How?"

"You'll have to ask Caesar that," Law said.

"This is what Joker is selling to Kaido," Rei stated without having to confirm it with Law. The puzzle pieces snapped into place in her mind.

Law smile came back as he nodded in approval at Rei.

"I'm going to let everyone ride on this truck," Law explained, "So let's head towards Building R. This building is going to collapse soon."

As the three of them pulled the truck forward, Law filled in Rei on what she had missed when she was out finding the samurai, from Caesar's murderous past to Vergo's identity as a secret agent for Doflamingo. The factory rumbled beneath their feet as a reminder to Rei that they didn't have much time. It served as a motivation for her to keep pulling at the truck.

Law was impressed by Rei's physical abilities. Although she had a figure of an athletic boy, she had the strength and stamina of a grown man. _This one is not to be underestimated in a battle,_ he thought to himself as he directed her and Smoker through the factory to get to R-66. They went by several corridors until finally, Rei saw a group of people ahead.

As they got closer, she recognized the faces of Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Robin, and finally Zoro.

"Luffy!" Rei called out to her friends as she freed one of her hands from the rope to wave to them, "Everyone!"

"Rei!" Luffy shouted excitedly, "Tra-guy! Smokey! I didn't expect for you to come from that way!"

"Rei!" Nami exclaimed, "What are you doing with them? I thought you would be with Zoro!"

"I sensed Law with my Haki so I decided to go see what he was doing!" Rei said, avoiding eye contact with Zoro.

Zoro looked between Rei and Law. He frowned and folded his arms across his chest. He had thought Rei would be the first to arrive here and was concerned when he couldn't find her. To show up with that alleged Warlord just added insult to injury. He had prepared for her to rub it in his face that he got lost again but this was way worse. He never imagined a time when he'd rather feel like an idiot but this was it.

He also hadn't forgotten about the stunt she pulled with Monet. He was going to wait until he can privately ask Chopper about his Haki. He was worried about Rei and how much more she would be affected by it and by him. He frowned as patience was not his virtue.

"Smo-yan!" the G5 marines cheered as Smoker made his way back to his men.

Among the crowd, Rei saw that Tashigi was in the back with her glasses broken and her hand on her injured shoulder. _Oh, so she can stand and walk now_ , Rei thought. Rei felt another stabbing pain in her chest and she rubbed her fingers to her wound.

Rei looked away from Tashigi and noticed the busted doorway behind Luffy.

"Luffy, did you beat Caesar?" Rei asked as she walked towards her captain.

"Yep! I kicked his ass!" Luffy said with a grin, "He got blown away with the door."

"Hey! You.." Law said exasperatedly, "Our plan was to kidnap him!"

"But I don't even wanna catch that bastard anymore!" Luffy said stubbornly.

"That was the plan if you like it or not. What are you going to do if he runs away?" Law asked as he came nose to nose with Luffy.

"Who cares about that jerk?!" Luffy snapped back.

Law sighed, "You think you can just change a plan as you like."

Rei stepped in between the two captains and interrupted their quarrel. "Allow me to fulfill the request of the alliance, Luffy."

"What?" Luffy asked confused.

"I can go ahead to get Caesar," Rei said, "I'm faster than the truck will be. It'll only take me a couple minutes to get to the outside and I'll wait for you there."

"What about the poisonous gas outside?" Law asked.

"I have a plan," Rei said, "You said this path led to the sea right?"

Law nodded.

"Caesar is the guy who came on the video projection earlier, right?" Rei asked Luffy, "The one with the white robe with "GAS" written on it?"

"He's the scientist who was also behind the chemical explosion 4 years ago," Law said, "How did you, a Royal Tactician, not know about him?"

"I had just gotten that title around that time," Rei admitted, "I wasn't privy to naval reports until three years ago."

"Rei, are you sure you want to go? We don't have the Sea Prism Stone handcuffs yet," Luffy said, "Usopp is getting it for us right now."

Rei pulled out her chains, "Sea Prism Stone remember? I can keep him subdued until you guys come with the handcuffs."

Luffy gave her a giant grin, "Okay! I'll see you in a little bit!"

"Luffy," Rei said hesitantly.

"Yeah?" Luffy asked.

"The rest are going to arrive in time, right?" Rei asked, as she looked towards the other door, hoping that Usopp, Chopper, Brook, and Kin'emon would suddenly burst through.

Luffy gave a confident smile, "Yes. They'll all be fine."

Rei let out a sigh of relief. As long as the captain was sure, she was sure.

"Oy, Luffy!" Zoro said as he walked over, "What's going on?"

"Rei is gonna go outside to capture Caesar," Luffy said with a grin.

Zoro couldn't believe his ears. "Tch," he scoffed, trying to play it cool, "What about his power? Doesn't he suffocate people or something?"

"I believe that if our captain said he kicked his ass," Rei said as she walked away from Zoro, "Then that's exactly what he did. I'm just going to make sure he doesn't get away."

"There's still poisonous gas outside!" Zoro yelled losing his composure. He walked in front of her to block her from the exit.

"I have a plan," Rei said brushing past him but not before hitting his shoulder out of the way with her own.

She paused when they were standing side by side. Her eyes looked forward as her as she coldly asked, "Or do you think I can't win this fight either?"

Zoro winced as he realized just how much it bothered her that he didn't think she could beat Monet. To be fair, Zoro knew to win a battle with the harpy, one had be better be prepared to kill and he had never gotten a killer's vibe off of Rei. She always fought to protect and never with the intention to draw blood.

"Rei," he started to say but then realized a lot of people were listening in on the conversation. He grimaced at the situation and wished he could just go somewhere private to talk to Rei but she was already running towards the exit.

"Thanks, Rei-ya!" Law called after her.

Zoro clenched his fist. "Oy! Call her Rei," he snapped.

"Zoro, he is!" Nami hissed pulling the swordsman back towards the Straw Hats, "He calls everyone with 'ya' at the end! Watch your tone too! Tra-guy is on our side."

Zoro watched as Rei disappeared down the corridor and towards the exit that lead to the sea outside. He didn't know why Rei ran to find Law instead of the children or even why she had to go capture Caesar even though Luffy already kicked the guys' ass.

He hated being in the dark. He wanted to go after her but he knew it was not the time for that. He folded his arms and tucked them firmly against his chest to stop himself from slicing off that smug look Law seemed to have on his face.

Luffy might like the guy but that didn't mean Zoro had to. He did not like him one bit.


	24. Capture Caesar

Rei ran like the wind. She was a woman on a mission, quite literally. She didn't want to let down Luffy and her crew members, especially on their first adventure together.

Although, a part of her also wanted to get away from Zoro. Rei did not want to be in the same room as him. She felt childish, confused, and a little guilty about it. When the opportunity presented herself to run ahead of the others, she took it without hesitation. Thank goodness for Law and the alliance, she thought.

She was getting closer to the exit and small clouds of poison gas were seeping towards her. She flipped her hood up over her head and then held her breath.

 _Time to put my plan in action,_ Rei thought, _I hope the sea is not too far away._

She took out her two chain weapons and started to swing them in fast circles in front of her. "CHAIN WING GUST!" she cried.

The chains swung hard and it created a fanning effect so that the poisonous gas was blown away from her. It formed a small opening for her as she ran her way through it. Rei kept her breath held and hoped that

Caesar was not too far off.

After what seemed like forever, she got out into the open, chains still swinging, as she pushed forward to find Caesar. She knew that if she just ran straight she'd be able to find him. There was no way he would go to the side, judging from the direction that he flew out from. It's not likely Luffy's punch would suddenly curve.

She could feel her cloak get a little heavy as some of it was exposed to the the poisonous gas as her pace started to slow down. It turned the fabric into ash. She dug deep, quicken her steps, even though her lungs begged her for air, and she swung her chains even harder to push the gas away.

Finally, she spotted Caesar up ahead, lying unconscious next to a tanker. He had a boxed heart in his hand but it was not beating. It must be Monet's, Rei thought. Law had told her how he switched her heart with Smoker's when Caesar's guard was down.

She swiftly picked Caesar up placing Armament Haki on her hands to grip around the gas man, without even pausing in her steps. She ran straight for the sea and they plummeted into the water, with the poison gas kept at bay on the surface.

Rei could feel herself running out of breath but she swam hard as she held Caesar to her side. She swam as far as she could from the poisonous island. She started to feel faint but she kept her eyes on the surface until she couldn't see any purple above her. The salt in the seawater burned her eyes but she kept them open. This was for Luffy. This was for everyone. Once the purple started to fade and the blue sky reflected into the water, she popped her head onto the surface and gasped for air.

She turned to face the island and found the surprised faces of Franky and two strangers looking down at her from above. The two strangers were flying overhead of him as Franky stood on the tanker by the dock. Franky was not his usual self, though. If Rei thought he was robotic before, it was nothing compared to his current state. He was encased completely in metal with a silver face, a silver drill for his hair, and there was red and blue metal around his shoulders and body.

The strangers were odd. One was a giant man that wore yellow and had propellers rotating around his head while the other was a woman, who had a missile for an upper body. Well, at least Rei thought it was a woman, since it had slim legs and was wearing a short purple skirt and white apron.

They blinked at each other as Rei tried to register what's going on.

"OW! Rei-Sis! What are you super-doing here?!" Franky called down to her.

"I'm grabbing Caesar for Luffy and Law!" Rei called out as she treaded in the water with her feet and one hand while the other hand held a floating Caesar, "What's going on?"

"I'm protecting the Sunny" Franky said as he pointed at the sky towards the stranger, "from Weapon Girl and Fan Man!"

"You look awesome, Franky!" Rei shouted back.

Franky put his two fists together with a loud clang as he called out, "SUPER!"

"Hey, don't ignore us-dasyun!" the man, who Rei assumed was Fan Man, called out to them.

"I'll show you the power of my ultimate weapon!" the missile shouted out in a female voice, "MISSILE GIRL!"

The man threw the missile at Franky and she went flying towards the tanker.

Quickly, Rei ducked down below the water to avoid any of the explosions as she held tightly onto Caesar. She kept her and Caesar underwater until she saw the smoke billow out from the surface, signaling that the explosion was over.

She popped her head out back onto the surface. "Franky!" she gasped, "Are you okay?!"

"I'm General Okay!" Franky said as he stomped out of the smoke.

Rei threw her chain out towards Franky on the tanker and he caught it with one hand. The air on the tanker was no longer poisonous as the missile had exploded and burned off the toxins.

"Pull me out!" Rei cried.

"Super no problem!" Franky shouted as he fished her and Caesar out of the sea.

Rei took off her hood, which was now soaking, and wrapped her chains around Caesar. He was already weak from the sea water but Rei wasn't taking any chances. She had promised Luffy she'd catch him and she was a woman of her word.

"You jerks!" the missile girl, who had now transformed back into a woman, snarled, "How dare you survive my passionate attack!"

She pulled out a heavy gun, the size of a cannon, and shot large bullets towards Franky and Rei. Rei quickly jumped behind Caesar, using him as a shield while Franky blocked it with his metallic arms. Rei's impulse was correct as Weapons Girl directed her attacks away from Caesar.

"Don't hurt Caesar-dasyun!" Fan Man shouted at the Weapons Girl, "Young Master needs him!"

"I know that!" Weapons Girl snapped.

"I am an invincible Iron Pirate," Franky sang as he leaned to the side and put his forearms together again, "SUPER!"

"Franky," Rei said shivering a little from the cold, "They're too high up for me to attack so I'm counting on you!"

"You iron soldier," Fan Man snarled at Franky as he and the woman landed on the dock facing the tankard with their backs towards the laboratory, "We won't let you mess with us anymore-dasuyan!"

"Looks like we'll need to kill you two to get to Caesar," the women added with a hand on her hip.

Suddenly, a burst of wind came sweeping out of the exit of the laboratory and Rei could hear the cheering of Luffy echoing through the walls.

She tightened her grip on Caesar as she let out a sigh of relief. The truck that her, Law, and Smoker had pulled through the factory came barreling down the path filled with G-5s, the Straw Hats, and Law. Nami stood at the front with her Clima-Tact pointed forward.

She must have used her wind power, Rei thought as she dragged Caesar to the side of the tanker.

The passengers on the truck cheered as they saw that they had made it safely outside.

"You've made it! Finally!" Franky called, "We've been super waiting for you!"

Luffy spotted Franky's transformer look and his eyes shined brightly like stars.

"SO AWESOME! LOOK AT THAT!" Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp cried out to Franky, "It's the general!"

"SUPER!" Franky shouted as he did his power pose again.

This time his audience was more receptive as the boys and the marines cheered for this majestic robot.

"That's what we boys love!" the marines cheered.

Zoro, on the other hand, had his eyes fixed on Rei. She was soaked from head to toe while holding Caesar with one of her free hands. He had no idea how she avoided the toxic gas but he felt the tightness in his stomach release. She was okay. She was fine.

Rei raised her chin indignantly when her eyes fell on Zoro. She tossed Caesar, still wrapped her in chains, at the swordsman, who caught it with a scowl.

"Nice work, Rei-ya," Law said as Usopp cuffed him with Sea Prism Stone handcuffs.

"Usopp, I'll need my chains back when you're done," Rei said as she jumped down from the tanker and onto the docks.

"Rei-chan!" Sanji cried as he rushed over to put his jacket over Rei, "You must be freezing!"

"It's fine, Sanji-kun," Nami said as she jumped off of the truck to make her way over to them, "I can just dry her clothes with my heat egg."

"Thanks," Rei murmured, embarrassed by the sudden attention she was getting.

Law's gaze left Rei and fell on the Fan Man and Weapons Girl. "Buffalo," he shouted, "And are you Baby 5?"

"Law!" Weapons Girl gasped as she recognized Trafalgar, "Are you really going to stand against Joker?"

"You traitor!" Fan Man yelled back.

"Are they your friends?" Luffy asked Law.

"No," Law replied, "They're my enemies."

"Yosh," Luffy said as he loosened up his arms. "Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"

He sent his fists flying out towards the Fan Man and Weapons Girl. They sailed up into the sky and landed hard onto the ground, knocking them unconscious.

"Alright," Law said under his breath, "The initial phase is accomplished."

"See? We're strong, aren't we?" Luffy said with a big cheesy grin towards Law.


	25. Rei, the Swordsman

The fight was over. Buffalo, Baby 5, and Caesar Clown were all captured and the docks were cleared from the poison gas. Everyone was still busy, though. The marines of G5 childishly painted a line across the dock to create separate areas for pirates and marines.

Rei watched the marines put the finishing touches on their line of segragation. She stood away from the crowd, at the docks, as Nami dried her clothes and body with a heat egg from her Clima-Tact. Rei's mask was off and clipped to the side of her utility belt.

"Thanks for drying me up, Nami," Rei said, "I would've frozen if you didn't get here sooner."

"Are you sure you don't want me to dry your cloak?" Nami asked as she finished heating the area around Rei's feet.

Rei glanced over at her black cloak. The edges and parts of the hood were covered in ash due to exposure to the poisonous gas. All Rei wore against the cold was her yellow long sleeved shirt and her black pants. Thankfully she wore heavy black boots usually so that helped her feet stay warm.

"The cloak is ruined," she said, "No point in drying it."

She smiled at Nami, "Besides, it's just clothes."

"You still need a jacket though," Nami said with a frown.

They looked sadly over at Kin'emon. The samurai had turned into ash from the poisonous gas, while attempting to locate his son. Brook had retrieved the body and carried him out to safety.

"I'll be okay," Rei said with a slight shiver.

Nami was about to interject when someone new approached them. "I have something to ask of you,"

Tashigi stated.

"What do you want?" Rei asked with a frown.

"Not you," Tashigi said as she motioned towards Nami, "May I speak with you privately?"

Nami was taken aback, "Sure."

Rei put a hand on Nami's shoulder. "I'll leave you two alone then," Rei said as she made her way to rejoin the rest of the Straw Hats.

"You're not completely dry yet," Nami started to interject but Rei waved goodbye without looking back to signal that she was fine.

Rei noticed that Zoro was heading towards them as well and her fists balled up. Was he coming to speak with Tashigi, Nami, or her? Whatever the case, she refused to acknowledge him. She lowered her eyes and tried to walk past him as casually as she could.

"Oy," Zoro said as he caught her arm before she could get past him.

"What?" Rei asked coldly.

"Listen," Zoro growled. He gripped her arm but she did not react, even though it was slightly painful. "You need to stop being mad at me."

"Is that your way of apologizing?" Rei asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have nothing to apologize for," Zoro snapped.

He noticed that Nami and Tashigi were looking over at them with confused expressions on their face and his scowl deepened. More women involvement was never good. He gritted his teeth and dragged Rei away from the docks, towards the laboratory, to a more secluded area.

"I have nothing to say to you," Rei said, "Please let me go."

"Look, I didn't mean what I said," Zoro said as he loosened his hold but did not release her.

Rei remained quiet, which frustrated Zoro. It was so much easier to have an argument with the debt witch since she always just yelled and said the first thing that came to mind. Even the love cook would just jump right into a physical fight, which was preferable than just having Zoro do all the talking.

"When I said you cared more about my opinion more than helping the others," Zoro finally grunted after the silence dragged on way too long, "I didn't mean it."

"And?" Rei replied quietly.

"Huh?" Zoro said, "And what?"

Rei's eyes narrowed. "Did you honestly think I couldn't beat Monet?"

Her voice started to shake with anger.

"I never said that," Zoro snapped.

"You didn't say anything!" Rei bellowed.

"What did you want me to say?!" Zoro retorted. He knew that they were starting to draw more attention to their argument but he didn't care at the moment. He was beyond frustrated.

"Do you think I'm weak?" Rei shouted.

"Of course not!" Zoro said.

"Then fight me," Rei growled as she freed herself from Zoro's grasp and jumped back, creating some space between the two.

"What?" Zoro blinked, caught off guard by Rei's request.

He realized that when she pulled back, she had taken a sword from his side and she was holding Shusui in his face. He scowled. "What are you doing, Know It All?"

"Fight me," Rei repeated, this time her tone was firm and cold, as she pointed his own sword at him.

He reached for his Wado."With a sword?"

"If that's what it takes for you to fight me seriously," Rei said, holding firm, "If a swordsman is the only thing you have your eyes on, then yes. I will fight you with a sword."

"Guys!" Usopp cried running towards them, "What is going on?!"

"Stop it, you shitty Marimo!" Sanji shouted, making his way over as well, "You're going to hurt Rei-chan."

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy laughed as he reached out to hold his two crew members back, "I think Zoro might be the one getting hurt."

Brook looked cautiously at their captain. "Luffy-san, is it really okay to let them two fight?"

"It'll be fine. We have two doctors if either of them get into any trouble," Luffy chuckled with his hands on his hips.

Usopp and Sanji shared a look as they stopped running. They glanced over to their captain and at the rest of the Straw Hats. Only Luffy seemed unfazed by the fight. The others shared the same worried expression as the sniper and the cook.

Rei and Zoro, in turn, paid the rest of the group no mind. If looks could kill, both of them would've been shot dead by each other.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Zoro asked, "Are you even trained to fight with a sword?"

As a response, Rei lunged forward with Zoro blocking it in the last second. The way she attacked and her footwork told Zoro everything he needed to know about her swordsmanship.

 _Should've known from a Commander of a fighting island,_ Zoro thought to himself as he contemplated using his two-sword style.

Rei waved one attack after another on him. She was faster and swifter than Monet and was giving him a run for his money but she knew that if he had all three of his swords, she would've been a goner. Zoro in turn realized that she was aiming only for his limbs and not for his vitals.

 _She's still holding back_ , Zoro thought as he stopped himself from reaching for his second sword.

"Fight me," she snarled, feeling the burn of her new source of energy.

 _I don't care what this is_ , Rei thought rashly, _I'm going to use it._

Their swords clashed and Rei pushed against Zoro with unexpected strength. They were nose to nose with only their blades between their faces. Rei could smell the metal from the sword and Zoro could see up close as his Haki pool into her eyes, turning it bright green.

He stood frozen, unable to decide what to do. If they continued fighting, would his Haki drive Rei overboard and she'll try to kill him? If he stopped, would that only add fuel to the fire? Whatever the case, he needed to stop her from fighting. This argument, or whatever it was, needed to end immediately.

"Why won't you fight back?," Rei asked accusingly, misinterpreting his hesitancy. She pushed back from his blade as she prepared to swing her sword out for another attack, "Is Tashigi right? Will you not fight me because I'm a woman?"

"That's not it," Zoro snapped.

"Then what is it?!" Rei shouted as she thrusted her sword forward, "Do you find me an unworthy opponent?"

Suddenly Zoro reached out with his bare hands to grab hold of her blade. He could've easily stopped it with his own sword so Rei knew it was conscious decision. Rei stood in shock as she saw the blood drip from his hand and down the blade.

"Are you finished?" Zoro asked coolly.

Rei immediately released her hold on the sword and she watched wordlessly as Zoro wiped the blood from the blade with his free hand. She instinctively took a couple steps back and unexpectedly backed into a snow covered rock. Somehow, during their fight, Zoro had lured her farther away from the dock and closer into the island. He replaced both swords back into his scabbard without taking his eyes of her.

"Just the sight of blood," Zoro said as he held up his cut hand for Rei to see, "Makes you stop attacking. Monet was right. You're not a killer."

Rei started to interject but Zoro continued, "But I don't think that makes you weak. I never doubted your skills or strength but I did make a mistake."

He took a step towards her, slowly lowering his hand. The brightness in her eyes was starting to fade, much to Zoro's relief. "I didn't think you could take a life," he said slowly.

He took another step closer and stood right in front of her. She was pinned between the rock and him now. He stared into her eyes and waited for his Haki to disappear completely. For her to return to the Rei he knew and not the one he was responsible for creating. He was glad that the Straw Hats were far enough away to not notice but he knew sooner or later, he'll need to tell them.

Finally, when her eyes had returned to normal, he continued to speak. "I didn't expect your need to protect our nakama to be stronger than your hesitancy to kill."

Zoro took a deep breath and scowled down at her. "I won't fight you. I will never fight you but it's not because you're a woman."

"Then why?" Rei breathed, unsure why her heart was beating so fast after the fight instead of during.

Zoro bent his head and rested his forehead on Rei's shoulder. "Why would I attack someone I'm trying to protect?" he growled softly, "You're not my opponent."

Rei bit her lip and she instantly felt ashamed. She had raised a weapon to her own crew member. Someone she had pledged to fight alongside and not against. "I'm sorry I lost my temper," she whispered, "I'm sorry I used your own sword against you."

She instinctively reached out and gripped the edges of his coat. "I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Zoro stiffened at her gesture. She was so close to him and it would just be so easy for him to pull her even closer. He badly wanted to. Their bodies were a couple inches apart but Zoro's heart was pounding so much he wouldn't be surprised if Rei could feel it. This girl had no idea the effect she had on him and Zoro wanted to keep it that way.

 _And she's a swordsman_ , Zoro grumbled in his mind as he thought about how efficiently and naturally she wielded his Shusui.

Her hands were still on his coat and his head remained next to her neck as he tried to calm his mind. He was much too aware of the attention they were already getting and he knew any bold moves he made would frighten her. She barely knew how to make friends let alone a man's human nature. He sighed as he fought the strong urge to just grab her. Instead, he slowly and carefully patted her head like a child.

"I thought you wanted an apology from me, Know it All," Zoro teased as he finally raised his head for her to see the smirk on his face, "And now you're doing the apologizing? What social protocol are you following?"

"I-I-I don't know," Rei stammered, caught off guard, "Nothing makes sense to me anymore when you're involved."

Zoro's smug smile could not get any bigger as he looked down at the red head. Her face turned solemn as she collected her thoughts. She raised her hand and stuck it out towards Zoro.

"Huh?" Zoro said.

"Hand shake," Rei explained.

"Are you serious?" Zoro asked incredulously.

"Shake on it," Rei said stubbornly.

Zoro bit back a grin as he realized she sounded like a child but didn't want to rile her up anymore. He didn't want to get into another sword fight with her. What if she had accidentally taken his Sandai Kitetsu? It was one thing to risk a cursed sword on his life. He doubt Rei would know how to handle it.

"Truce," Rei said as he took her hand.

"Truce," Zoro said.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," they heard their captain laugh, "I told you they'd be fine."

That's when Rei realized the crowd her and Zoro had drew in and immediately felt her face go red. She had no intention on making such a spectacle. Zoro must have read her mind because he immediately drew back out his Shusui.

"Whoever is still looking at us when I count to three will have to fight both of us at the same time and I'll use my three sword style," he announced loud enough for everyone to hear, "One...two…"

Immediately, the crowd dispersed and everyone avoided eye contact with Rei and Zoro. The show was over. Rei noticed that Zoro was still holding her hand. She pulled hers back, letting his hand drop to his side. He looked at her.

"You need to get your hand bandaged," Rei said as his blood continued to drip on the snowy dock.

"I'll be fine. I've been through worse," Zoro said with confidence, "Besides, you can't really be part of the crew until you inflict damage on us."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"Nami punches us all the time whenever she feels like it. Robin has squeezed Franky's balls hard enough to get him to come with us. Luffy gets us all into violent situations all the time," Zoro started to list out as Rei's eyes got wider and wider.

A commotion from the love cook, Brook, and Luffy drew Zoro's attention away from Rei. Apparently, Brook had accidentally knocked over the ashen statue of the samurai. Kin'emon appeared to be fine as Zoro watched him jump up and hug a child. _Must be his son,_ Zoro thought.

He watched as Curly Brow started to ladle out bowls of soup to everyone and Luffy was jumping around doing a happy dance. Zoro hid a smile as he recognized the little jig from his captain. It was time for a feast.

He turned back to Rei but then noticed that she had already walked away. Zoro watched her sit on the edge of the dock. She probably needed a minute to compose her thoughts so he made his way towards the crowd, who were now gathering excitedly around Luffy. "Hey, why don't you guys get some sake from the tanker?" Zoro said as he approached them.

You couldn't have a party without some sake.

Usopp appeared beside Zoro as he expertly bandaged the swordsman's hand with some leftover gauze from Chopper's kit.

"Hey, Straw Hat-ya," Law interrupted from behind the crowd, "We don't have time to eat here. People are coming after us."

Zoro's good mood turned sour as he looked at the fur capped man. He had forgotten about Law being here. He didn't put it past him to ruin a good opportunity to drink.

"Hey, guys!" Luffy shouted as he climbed aboard a box, "Somebody's coming after us. So…"

His face broke into a huge grin as he shouted, "You gotta hurry! It's a banquet!"

Zoro cheered with the rest of the crowd and he found another reason to celebrate when he saw the stunned look on Law's face. _Yeah, Luffy,_ he thought, _Put that smug jerk in his place._


	26. The Smartest Guy on the Crew

While Zoro left to procure some alcohol, Rei walked off to the edge of the dock. She sat down on the cold ground and bent her legs up. She rested her forehead on her knees and tried to clear her mind. She heard gentle footsteps approaching her but she didn't budge.

"Hey," Robin's voice said softly.

"Hey," Rei replied back, without looking up, "I don't want to talk about what just happened."

"Okay," Robin said as she took a seat next to her, "Let's talk about something else then."

Rei said nothing.

"How does it feel?" Robin asked.

Rei looked up at Robin, not sure what she meant.

"How does it feel to be a Straw Hat?" Robin clarified, "This is your first adventure after all."

"I feel…" Rei said as she struggled to find the exact words, "tired."

Robin laughed. She liked Rei a lot. Maybe it was because they were both considered child prodigies. Maybe it could just be as simple as the fact that Rei was the only other Straw Hat member who had a general interest in anthropology and history. Either way, Robin was one of the first Straw Hats to establish a bond with Rei and she wanted to look out for her. Goodness knows that thick headed swordsman wasn't going to be able to help guide her through womanhood.

Robin's laugh made Rei relax a little and Rei gave a smile back.

"Yes, today has been pretty tiring," Robin said.

"How'd you feel on your first adventure as a Straw Hat?" Rei asked.

"Shocked," Robin said as she smiled at the memory of Sky Island, "Everyone was full of surprises. We went to a place everyone thought was just a legend."

"You guys have gone through a lot together," Rei replied as she took in Robin's reminiscent expression.

"Yes we have but we're not even close to the end yet," Robin said excitedly, "We're going to have a lot more adventures and this time they'll include you."

"Even if I just attacked Zoro?" Rei asked full of guilt.

Robin laughed. "Sanji fights Zoro almost every day. Do you think it makes a difference?"

"I guess not," Rei said.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't pry," Robin said slowly, "But it looked like you and Zoro reached an agreement to me and he seems to be fine now."

Robin nudged Rei and pointed in the swordsman's direction to get her to look. Zoro was enjoying a mug full of alcohol as he sat patiently while Usopp bandaged his hand. The sight of the medical supply reminded Rei of something and she jumped quickly to her feet.

"Where's Dr. Reindeer?" she asked Robin.

"He's treating the children," Robin said confused at Rei's sudden outburst, "Law just finished doing whatever he was for them and Chopper is taking care of them now. Why do you ask?"

"I need him to check my wound," Rei said.

"Your wound? But it hasn't bothered you in days. Did something happen to it?" Robin asked.

"I don't know," Rei admitted, "I just feel this dull ache every now and then."

She put two fingers and pressed them towards the area to show Robin where she was referring to.

"When did the pain occur?" Robin asked as she rested her hand under her chin, "What were you doing?"

"Nothing special. Just walking," Rei said.

"What was happening around you?" Robin pressed.

Rei thought about it and she described the situations to Robin. First time was when Sanji fell in the snow and Zoro caught him. The second being when Zoro carried Tashigi on her shoulders. The final being when she arrived at R-66.

Robin gave a small chuckle, "I don't think Chopper would be able to explain that injury to you."

"He wouldn't?" Rei asked confused, "Is my wound incurable?"

That brought another laugh out of Robin, "Some might say that, yes."

Rei felt annoyed. She wasn't used to being in the dark.

"What's wrong with me? Tell me Robin," she said as she gently tugged at Robin's sleeve like a little child.

Robin laughed, "In fact, this might be something Sanji could help answer."

"Sanji?" Rei asked confused, "Is it a dietary issue?"

"It's a heart issue," Robin teased. Robin's eyes met Rei's green ones as Robin rested her chin back on her hand. She gave Rei a little wink. "You're jealous."

"What?" Rei blinked.

"That feeling you're getting is jealousy," Robin said.

"Of what?" Rei asked.

Robin laughed and shook her head, "Rei, you're a genius. Figure it out."

Rei bit her lip as she thought it through. Her head raced to find the pattern. Suddenly, a blush rose to her cheeks and her eyes widened.

"B-B-B-But…" Rei stammered, her face now as red as her hair, "Why would I be…?"

"Because your favorite color is green," Robin teased with another wink.

Rei put her hands to her face and felt its warmth. Quickly, she put her mask back on, which made Robin laugh.

"I don't want to marry him," Rei blurted out which made Robin laugh harder, "I don't want to marry anybody."

"Who said anything about a wedding?" Robin asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well social protocol states that-" Rei started to say.

"Rei, we're pirates," Robin interrupted, "Social protocol doesn't apply to us. Do you even love him?"

"I don't know," Rei said exasperatedly, "I care about him but shouldn't that be enough? We're part of the same crew! We're nakama!"

"I know," Robin said, placing a reassuring hand on Rei's leg, "You don't have to try to define the feeling or even act on it. All that matters is that you recognize that he is important to you."

"You all are important to me," Rei stated.

"I know," Robin replied warmly.

"Do you think jealousy is why I've been acting off?" Rei asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

Rei explained the fight with Monet and later with Zoro. How she felt the energy surge through her. As she spoke, Robin's face grew serious. Rei could tell by the concerned look on her friend's face that she was correct. It wasn't jealousy.

"Rei," Robin said solemnly, "If that power comes up again, you'll need to make sure it doesn't take control."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

Robin hesitated. She suspected it had something to do with Zoro's Haki but being unable to use Haki herself, she couldn't be positive. She also didn't want to vocalize her suspicions and divulge to Rei that Zoro had given her some of his Haki. It wasn't her secret to tell.

"That energy you felt makes you stronger," Robin said cautiously, "But it seems like it also makes you more ruthless and reckless. So you'll need to make sure you're still thinking rationally when you use it."

"I'm always thinking rationally," Rei stated.

"Then I guess you have nothing to be afraid of," Robin said with a smile.

Rei smiled back at her friend.

"Is there anything else you need help on?" Robin asked.

"No," Rei said as she sat back down with her friend, "Can you tell me more about your first adventure? To that legendary place?"

"Skypiea?" Robin said, "Yes, that was a very special place. It was a place that revived me of my dream.'

"To learn about the Blank History."

Robin was touched. "You remembered."

"I remembered everyone's," Rei said, "Since I don't have a dream of my own, I figured I can just focus on helping everyone else fulfill theirs. Starting with Luffy."

"I see," Robin said.

"Why is that your dream?" Rei asked, "How did you know it was your dream?"

Robin searched for the right words before answering slowly, "Because it's a question I wanted to devote my life to answering."

"A question you want answered…" Rei said softly to herself.

Rei contemplated Robin's words and suddenly a thought popped into her head. "Thanks, Robin. I need to step away for a moment," Rei said with a sudden determination as she got up to her feet.

"You're welcome," Robin said hesitantly even though she had no idea what she was being thanked for.

"I'll be right back," Rei said as she hurried away.

Robin looked down and realized that Rei's notebook had fallen in the snow.  _It must've fallen out of her belt_ , Robin thought as she picked it up and put it in her lap. She'd give it back to Rei the next time she sees her. There's no rush right now.

Rei walked but not too quickly to avoid anyone noticing where she was headed. Thankfully, it looked as though everyone was preoccupied with the banquet so she was able to cross the dock undetected.

Rei saw the person she wanted to speak with and she sat down in front of him but he was unconscious. She slapped him hard across the face to wake him up.

"Caesar," she said when he opened his eyes, "Tell me about Vegapunk."

Zoro was with the guys grabbing another big cup of alcohol from one of the marines when he remembered something. Rei needed to build up her tolerance for alcohol in case one of those alcoholic gas things blew up in their face again. With a grin, he took an extra cup and walked over to where her noticed Rei and Robin were sitting earlier. The confident smile left his face when he realized it was just Robin sitting by herself.

"Oy," he said as he lazily sat down next to Robin on the dock edge and handed her a cup, "Drink up."

"Thanks," Robin said taken aback by the sudden gesture from the swordsman.

She took the cup from his hands and gave him a knowing smile, "Rei just left."

He grimaced. I should've known Robin would see through it, he thought.

They clinked their cups and drank in silence. The green notebook on Robin's lap caught Zoro's eye and he instantly grabbed it. Robin watched as he flipped through to the page of LIKES.

"Are you looking for something?" she asked calmly.

Zoro read through the list and flipped through the pages and pages of delicious food that Sanji had cooked that she liked until he reached the end of the list, in the middle of the notebook:

Playing games with Luffy  
Playing chess with Usopp  
Mixing herbs and medicines with Chopper  
Fixing the ship with Franky  
Anthropologie lessons with Robin  
Helping Nami calculate everyone's debt  
Building snowmen with Brook

He tossed the book at Robin and it flopped back into her lap. She did not look up from her cup as she drank.

"Not happy with what you read?" Robin teased, avoiding eye contact with the swordsman.

Zoro stormed off without a word and returned to his spot next to Usopp. He was talking and laughing with Franky and Chopper, who had just returned with the rest of the children. Zoro chugged down his sake and held it out to a marine who was holding a new bottle. "More!" he growled to the marine.

Usopp turned to look at his friend, "Zoro, are you okay?"

"Not now, Usopp," Zoro said as he downed his cup and held it out again for a refill.

Usopp eyed his friend as the swordsman finished another cup in one big gulp. He put down his own cup. "It's Rei, isn't it?"

"I said not now, Usopp!" Zoro growled.

"I'd be mad too if I wasn't in Rei's notebook either," Usopp said with a fake sigh.

"It's stupid! She has the dumbest things written in there. Playing games with you guys, all the strange things the kinky cook makes -" Zoro started to say but then caught himself when he realized what Usopp had just said.

Zoro blinked and looked at the long nose sniper. "How did…?"

"Because you lost your temper when she pulled it out earlier," Usopp said with a shrug, "When she told us about building snowmen with Brook."

Usopp looked over at Zoro, who stared at him as if Usopp had shot him with a Pop Green. Usopp continued, "Zoro, if it bugs you that she left you out of the notebook, then you should try to be in it."

"What do you mean? You guys didn't try," Zoro said indignantly.

"We didn't try to be in her notebook, you idiot," Usopp snapped, "We were trying to spend time with her because that's what friends do."

Usopp saw that Zoro was stunned back into silence and he gave a little smirk. "Spending all those years trying to cheer Kaya up probably makes me the resident ladies expert for the ship."

"That's not saying a lot," Zoro snarked, "You have Luffy, who has no interest in them. Chopper is still a child and the rest are all perverts."

Usopp's eyes fell on Luffy, who had two chopsticks sticking out from his lips as he made Kin'emon's son and Chopper crack up. Usopp let out a sigh, "It's a small victory."

Usopp then turned a sly grin to Zoro, "You know, if you don't want my advice, you should ask the second most experienced with women. Sanji should be able to-"

Zoro crushed the mug in his hand as he stared down the sniper, who clammed up and pretended to drink out of his own empty mug.

Zoro patted Usopp on the back to let him know that he was grateful for his advice. The sniper was right. There was plenty of opportunity for him to get into that stupid notebook. They were still at the beginning of the New World. As if she knew he was thinking about her, he spotted Rei in the corner of his eyes.

She was standing in front of Kin'emon with a stone on her head. The samurai worked his powers and suddenly she was wearing a green jacket. Zoro smiled to himself the color looked good on her although he couldn't help but notice that it was a man's coat.  _Does the samurai not know Rei is a girl?_  he thought with a shrug.

Suddenly, his good humor disappeared when he realized she was now making her way towards Law.


	27. Banquet's Over

Law sat on a crate silently looking over the tanker while he sipped on the soup that the Straw Hats' Pirates had made him. Smoker sat on another crate next to him while puffing on his standard two cigars.

"Law," Smoker said, "What are you up to, taking advantage of Straw Hat?"

" _I'm_  taking advantage of him?" Law replied with a grin, "Maybe he's taking advantage of me."

"Law," Smoker warned, "Don't think I'm going to honor our promise just because you spared my life."

"There is no particular reason why I didn't kill you, Smoker-ya," Law said as he stood up from his seat. He hesitated a little before saying, "By the way, I'm thinking about going to Green Bit."

He glanced over at Smoker. "I wonder if I can handle the Straw Hats," Law said and then walked away towards where he had bound Caesar, Buffalo, and Baby 5 to. He had to set up the next phase of his plan.

He noticed that the Straw Hats' newest member, the one that had captured Caesar on behalf of her childish captain, was walking over to him. He smoothly changed his stride to make it look like he was heading towards the group. It would better if the Straw Hats weren't aware of this part of the plan yet.

"Law," Rei said when she reached him, "What were you telling Smoker?"

"None of your business," Law said.

"Sorry for prying," she said as she turned to walk with him towards the group, "It's just that when I see a marine speaking with someone who my captain had just formed an alliance with, it makes me want to see what is going on."

"Do you not trust me, Rei-ya?" Law asked.

"Trust needs to be earned," Rei said as she watched Luffy balloon up into a gigantic ball from all the food he was consuming, "I trust no one but my captain and the crew."

Rei thought about how Luffy had unhesitantly given her his blood back in Beffi Island and how the whole crew automatically volunteered to help her in her time of need. She was very grateful for their loyalty and friendship. She looked back at Law and all the dangers and unknowns the man brought with him.

"You're a smart man, Law," Rei continued, "So don't do anything stupid."

"Like?" Law asked.

"Forcing me to kill you," Rei said unemotionally.

"Is that a threat?" Law asked coolly.

"I don't know what your ties are to Doflamingo," Rei said, leaving his question unanswered, "But you obviously have a deep rooted history with him. That can get messy so don't do anything foolish."

"Like?" Law asked.

"Getting any of us killed," Rei stated.

Both of them stopped when they were about to reach the group. The conversation was over. Rei faced Law, "I believe you were heading towards Caesar and your former friends. You didn't have to pretend to walk here with me."

With that she turned back and left. Law smiled a little to himself as she rejoined the Straw Hats. This girl was interesting.

Rei was not facing Law so she did not see Law's smile but Zoro, who was watching from a distance, did. He was wary of Law and wondered what they were talking about.

Yes, it slightly bothered him to see Law to take any interest at all to Rei but after his conversation with Usopp, he realized that Rei was actually pretty straight forward with her feelings and if anything was going on between her and Law, it would've shown already. After all, even though he wasn't in her damn notebook, neither was Law.

Rei had a serious expression on her face until Robin walked over and handed Rei her notebook and a bowl of soup. Zoro watched as Rei smiled at Robin and swiftly tucked the notebook back into her utility belt. They both joined in the festivities around them, talking and eating with the children and Straw Hats.

Zoro sat himself next to the other side of Rei, even though he had to ungraciously toss Brook out of the spot to do so. Rei was too busy chatting with Chopper about his diagnosis on the children that she didn't even notice the sudden change of seating partners. When she finally noticed Zoro, he already had his eyes closed and was leaning back onto his hands to nap.

After a few hours, the banquet wrapped up and the marines were slowly making their way onto the tanker with the children. Tashigi had promised Nami that she would make sure each child got home safely.

"What about the drugs?" Rei asked Nami.

"Dr. Vegapunk had agreed to treat each child so that they would not die from Caesar's diabolical testing," Nami said.

"Vegapunk?" Rei said in surprise, "Was he involved in it?"

"No, he had refused to do any of that which caused friction between him and Caesar," Nami explained.

Rei digested this information. Vegapunk, she thought, I wonder what he's like.

The Straw Hats had agreed that they wouldn't set sail until they watched the marines safely leave on the tanker with the children. As Chopper and Nami had promised to see the children home.

"Take care! Yohohoho!" Brook shouted as the Straw Hats waved goodbye to the kids.

The G5 marines closest to them suddenly got a strange gleam in their eyes as they redrew the line on the floor to separate them from the pirates.

"This is the line!" they shouted, "Don't think of crossing it!"

"This is the line of good and evil!" Another marine shouted.

"But you were enjoying the banquet just a few minutes ago," Luffy said exasperatedly, while gnawing on a bone.

"You guys are pirates!" a new marine shouted, "A dishonor to the human race!"

"Wow, they sure changed their tune quick," Rei said as she stood beside Nami.

The tanker blew its air horn signaling that it was about to leave and the marines pulled out a long sheet of fabric with the marine logo on it. They stretched it all the way across the line that they drew, blocking the Straw Hats from seeing the children on the tanker.

"Nami-san!" the children called out, "Chopper-chan! Where are the pirates?"

"Take this down. How annoying," Sanji groaned as he puffed on his cigarette.

"Big Brother! Big Sister!" the children called out to the Straw Hats as they wanted to say goodbye.

"We are the champions of justice!" the marines cried as they held up the sheets of fabric, "We're going to exterminate all pirates who cause civilians grief! Pirates are the scum of the earth!"

Rei couldn't see past the marines but she heard the children's protests get louder and louder.

"It's nice to hear them yelling like that," Chopper said with a smile, "It means they're feeling well."

"Franky, what happened to the Mini-Merry?" Robin asked as she stood next to the cyborg.

"Ow! You're the fifth person to ask me that," Franky said.

"Oh, I forgot about Mini-Merry," Rei said with shock, "What did happen to it?"

"Ow! You're the sixth!" Franky said.

"Something the genius forgot," Zoro said as he came up and stood behind Rei, "I should start keeping track. Maybe that could be a list I could keep in a notebook."

Rei looked back at Zoro, who had a small smile on his lips. He smelled heavily of alcohol but Rei knew he was far from being intoxicated.  _Was he teasing me?_  she wondered.

Suddenly shots were fired in the air, disrupting the Straw Hats' chat.

They looked over and saw that the marines were firing their weapons to stop the children from protesting. "If you want to say goodbye to a pirate, you're a bad kid!" one of the marines shouted, "If you say 'Thank You' to them, we'll drag you out of the tanker and leave you here!"

The children gasped and clapped their hands to their mouths.

"Listen! Pirates are bad and the Navy is good!" another marine shouted.

"Pirates bad! Navy good!" the marines chanted, "Pirates bad! Navy good!"

"Stop it you guys!" Tashigi suddenly called out, stunning her men into silence, "Shame on you!"

"But Tashigi-chan," one of the men shouted as tears came to the marines' eyes, "Unless we keep saying bad things about them…"

One by way the sheets of fabric dropped as each marine fell to their knees in tears.

"...We'll start liking these outlaws!" the man shouted.

"Such an odd group," Rei said as she tilted her head in confusion.

"They are, aren't they?" Luffy said with a laugh.

* * *

Zoro walked with the rest of the group as they headed back to the Thousand Sunny and he noticed that Law was following as well.

"Hey," Zoro said quietly to Usopp as he pointed a finger at Law's back, "Is he coming with us?"

"Oh yeah," Usopp said, "You don't know about the alliance!"

"Alliance?" Zoro asked.

"Yeah, Luffy got us into trouble again," Usopp sighed, "He agreed to form an alliance with Law's crew and to help him capture Caesar."

Zoro let out a sigh of relief that he didn't even realize he was holding. Now Rei's interactions with Law made a little more sense.

The Straw Hats climbed aboard and Rei threw her hands around the mast.

"So nice to be back," she said as she gave the ship a hug.

"Ow! I'm super happy you like it here, Rei-Sis," Franky said as he flashed the girl an appreciative smile.

"Franky," Rei said as she turned to the cyborg, "You never told me what happened with the Mini-Merry."

"Like I told the others," Franky said as he made his way around the ship to prep for sailing, "After I came back to the Sunny, I got out to the sea through a channel in the lab and retrieved the Mini-Merry from the burning side. Then I used the General Franky, which is impervious to toxic gas and went back to the lab."

"Oh I'm glad the little lamb is okay," Brook said as he sipped his tea and then he realized something, "Rei-san, I think I owe you a cup of tea."

"Oh yes," Rei said with a grin, "We totally forgot to have some tea before building the snowmen."

"May I have some tea too?" Kin'emon said sheepishly as he and his son held out a cup.

"Certainly," Brook answered politely.

"This must be your son, Kin'emon," Rei said as she looked at the boy with the partially shaved head and pink kimono with a peach design, "Momonosuke, right?"

"That's right, Dragon Rider," Kin'emon said.

"By the way, why are you two here?" Zoro asked, "Why didn't you go with the Navy to return to your home?"

"We're in the midst of an important trip," Kin'emon explained, "So we didn't want to waste time with the Navy. You can drop us off on some island with an harbor. Until then, please let us stay on board."

He bowed his head and his son followed suit. "Please," the little boy said.

"Okay!" Luffy said as he climbed to the lion's head.

"You can pay us later," Nami said.

"You're going to charge us?" Kin'emon asked in shock.

The Straw Hats got busy as they set the Thousand Sunny out into the sea and away from Punk Hazard. Rei sat on the railings when they were off. The sun beamed down on the ship and it was warm enough for everyone to take off their jackets. Now that she wasn't wearing her hood, Rei was able to feel the breeze that blew around the ship as it sailed. A few mists of salty seawater hit her face every once in awhile but it felt nice under the sunlight. Her mustard yellow shirt billowed around her in the wind as she dangled her legs along the side of the railings. Her black pants and dark boots contrasted against the bright blue water beneath her.

"Nami, where are we going next?" Luffy asked excitedly.

"The next destination is already set," Law said stopping the navigator from responding.

"Dressrosa," Rei said, directing it at Luffy not at Law.

Law stared at the genius, unsure of how she knew.

"If you're going after Joker, who is Doflamingo," Rei said, as if reading his mind and turning around on the railing so she faced the deck, "Then it makes sense that our next stop is Dressrosa."

"That's our genius!" Usopp shouted with pride as he hung his arm over her shoulder. Then he realized what she had said.

"DOFLAMINGO?!" Usopp screamed, "We're going after the Warlord? I've heard he's the most evil one!"

"Dressrosa?!" Kin'emon exclaimed, interrupting Usopp.

"You know the place?" Luffy asked.

"That's exactly where we, I mean, I want to go!" Kin'emon said, "So we're going there?!"

"I think so," Luffy said.

"You have no idea what's going on, do you?" Law asked.

"Nope," Luffy said with a smile.

Law sighed and hung his head. He looked over at Rei and she just shrugged her shoulders.

"The needle in the middle on your Log Pose must be pointing towards Dressrosa but don't try to go straight there," Law said.

"Why?" Nami asked.

"Because it'll work out better for us," Law replied.

"He's being such a know-it-all smart ass," Zoro scoffed.

"Good to know I'm not alone then," Rei commented.

Zoro gritted his teeth. It had slipped out before he realized what he was saying. The last thing he wanted was for Rei to bond with the Tra-guy.

"Come to think of it," Robin said to Law, "You were talking on the transponder snail earlier. Who were you talking to?"

"Doflamingo," Law replied.

"I knew it!" Usopp cried, "We're going to die!"

"The plan is already in action," Law said.

"What's the plan?" Zoro asked suspiciously.

"Yeah! Tell us your plan!" Luffy shouted excitedly, "Get together everybody, we're going to hear Law's plan!"


	28. Zoro's Human Vivre Card

"We formed an alliance to kill one of Four Emperors?!" the Straw Hats cried as Law finished telling them the purpose of their partnership.

"I thought you guys all knew the purpose of the alliance already," Rei asked confused.

"How'd you know about the alliance?!" Usopp shot back.

"I asked Law," Rei said.

 _That simple?!_  Usopp thought as tears streamed down his face.

"The Four Emperors, huh?" Zoro said grinning ear to ear as he leaned against the mast, "Sounds like fun."

"All opposed to this alliance?!" Usopp asked shooting his hand up in the air.

"Me!" Chopper and Nami said as they raised their hands.

"Do we actually get a vote?" Rei asked Brook, who was enjoying his tea beside Zoro.

The skeleton shook his head.

"Luffy's mind is set," Sanji said as he handed a cup of coffee to Robin, who gave him a bright smile, "Although I have to warn you, Tra-guy…"

Law looked at Sanji curiously.

"There may be a slight difference between you and Luffy's definition of 'alliance'," he whispered softly so that his captain wouldn't hear, "Be careful."

Law's expression became a little nervous and he started to second guess if it was really wise to jump into an alliance that quickly.

"You're not going to get away with this," Caesar Clown hissed as he sat slumped against the wall, "Extraordinary big names are going to hunt you down."

A swift kick from the blonde cook sent Caesar into an unconscious state with blood coming out of his nose.

"Hey, Sanji!" Chopper shouted angrily, "I was in the middle of his treatment! Wait until I finish it and then you can kick his ass."

Sandri was incredulous. "Seriously?!"

"I asked you guys to kidnap Caesar, while I destroyed the machine which manufactured a substance called SAD..." Law started to explain but Rei held up her hand to stop him.

"They're not listening," Rei said as tilted her head to signal Law to take a look.

Law looked around and indeed the Straw Hats were all preoccupied with their own business. Usopp was hammering out new tools for Franky, Zoro was already deep into his nap, Luffy was back at the front of the ship, perched on top of the lion's head, and Sanji was making his way back into the kitchen.

"Don't worry," Rei said with a small smile at Law's perplexed expression, "They got the gist. Lure Doflamingo out with Caesar, kick his ass, and then find Kaido."

Law started to say something but Usopp interrupted him.

"Wow, Rei," Usopp said as he stopped his hammering for a second to look up at her, "You really know us well."

Rei gave him a smile, "Leave the details to me!"

"KAIDO?!" Kin'emon cried from the other side of the deck, "Did you say Kaido?!"

Suddenly, Mononosuke who was standing next to him, turned into a pink dragon out of fright. His father didn't notice at first but when he did he jumped back and screamed. "Why is there a dragon here? Where is Momonosuke?!"

"That's him," Luffy said nonchanantly.

"WHAT?!" Kin'emon shouted.

The dragon nodded.

"What happened?!" Kin'emon screamed.

Rei turned to face out towards the ocean again as she watched the waves crash around the ship. Intervening in their family drama was not something she was interested in doing.

Suddenly, Law leaned his elbows against the railing beside her. "You know the plan, Rei-ya?" he asked quietly.

Rei nodded. "There's a factory in Dressrosa that uses SAD to make the artificial devil fruits..."

"SMILE factory," Law informed.

"And you want us to help you destroy it because Kaido is Doflamingo's biggest buyer of those fruits," she finished.

Law looked over at her in wonderment, "How did you figure that out?"

"She's a genius," Zoro growled from behind.

They turned to look at the swordsman who had woken from his nap and was now leaning on the railing on the other side of Rei. He was a bit closer to Rei than Law was and Rei could feel the Zoro's elbow against her leg. Rei's focus was on the Heart Pirate, though, and not on the swordsman.

"I'm a Know-It-All. Just like you. I guess we think alike," Rei said giving a small shrug to Law, "But in truth, I actually asked Caesar about Vegapunk and he told me about how he developed SAD from Vegapunk's research."

"Why did you speak to Caesar?" Zoro asked.

Rei finally turned her head and looked at the swordsman. She hesitated for a moment, contemplating her answer before surprising him with a big smile. She swung her legs around the railing and faced the Straw Hats as she put her hands on the railing and leaned forward slightly.

"Everyone! I have an announcement to make!" she called out to the deck, "I found my dream!"

That caught the crew's attention.

"Oooh!" Luffy exclaimed as he bounded back to the group, "What is it?"

"I want to meet Dr. Vegapunk," Rei said confidently, "and also find out more about his research with devil fruits!"

"I thought you knew all the devil fruits," Usopp said scratching his chin.

"I know all the existing ones that people have used," Rei corrected, "I want to know where they came from."

"Devil Fruits," Law commented, "Is there one you specifically wanted to get?"

"No," Rei said, shaking her head, "I never want to eat one."

"Why?" he asked.

"I have enough power," she stated.

That made everyone smile including Law, which quickly turned Zoro's into a scowl.

"How did you decide on your dream?" Nami asked.

"Caesar Clown," Rei said.

"WHAT?!" the Straw Hats shouted looking at the gas man.

"The question you want answered?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rei nodded. "I asked him about SAD and about Vegapunk. I realized that I wanted to know more. I want to know more about this genius and I want to know if he's a good man."

It dawned onto her that this was the first time she vocalized her dream and she looked around at the Straw Hats cautiously. She suddenly felt nervous about their reactions. Everyone of them grinned back at her, even Zoro.

"Is that a good dream?" she asked.

Luffy nodded at her earnestly. "Sounds like an adventure!"

The rubberman suddenly sprang to his feet as he stretched out his arms and shouted, "EVERYBODY! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FEAST TO CELEBRATE REI'S DREAM!"

"Idiot! We just had a banquet. We don't have enough food for another feast!" Sanji yelled.

"Keep it simple then! A small feast," his captain whined, "We can get more on the next island."

Sanji refused to budge. "We can celebrate after we restock everything then."

Law was about to add his support and say how it was not the proper time to celebrate when out of the blue, a seagull swooped down and cried out. He watched in confusion as Rei instantly jumped up and grabbed it.

"GULLY TWO!" she cried as she hugged the bird to her.

"How did Gully Two find us all the way out here?!" Usopp asked as Rei stroked her dear pet.

"Haki," Rei stated as if it was common knowledge.

"WHAT?!" the Straw Hats cried.

"My dad asked a Transferable Haki user to put some of his and my haki in Gully Two so that the seagull could find me," Rei said blinking at the Straw Hats, "Did you guys not know that haki can be linked between the user and the original source?"

"We didn't grow up on your island!" Usopp snapped.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy laughed, "So that's how he found you. What a clever bird."

"Does this mean you can find Gully as well?" Robin asked.

"No, he doesn't have enough of my haki for me to track him," Rei said, "I only gave him enough to find me."

Rei examined Gully Two's legs and found a note strapped to one of them. "Looks like my dad sent me a letter," she said as she gently took the note out.

She unrolled it and looked up at the Straw Hats, "Do you mind if I read this in private?"

All of her friends gave her a supportive grin as she quickly went into the girls' quarters with Gully Two to read her father's letter.

As the door shut behind her, Usopp let out a cry. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed.

It made Chopper and Nami, who were standing closest to him, jump up a foot high in the air. Nami punched Usopp hard on the head when she realized he was yelling over nothing. "Don't scare me, you idiot!" she seethed.

"You guys don't get it?!" Usopp asked as he glanced at each of the Straw Hats.

All of them looked at him with blank expressions.

Usopp smugly put a hand on his hip and the placed his thumb and forefinger under his chin. He stuck his nose high in the air, "Clearly, as the smartest guy in the group, it is my duty to point out the obvious."

"Idiot, just spit it out!" Sanji shouted, giving Usopp a swift kick to the ground, while Nami and Chopper also gave him a few kicks while he was down.

When they stopped, Usopp uncurled from his fetal position and pointed a shaky finger at Zoro. "His haki," he wheezed before moving the finger towards the door to the girls' quarters, "in her."

"AHHHHHH!" Nami and Sanji screamed as they finally realized what Usopp was getting at.

Sanji hurriedly picked Usopp off the ground and even brushed some dirt off his shoulders. "I'm so sorry for kicking you, Usopp! You are clearly smart enough to find the solution for that helpless idiot!"

"What are you talking about?" Zoro growled.

"Of course you're the only person who doesn't get it," Nami spat out as she marched over to Zoro, "You. Haki. Rei."

"So?" Zoro asked.

"Ah," Law said with a smile, "So the genius has a wild man's haki inside of her. Very interesting. I could use someone like her on my crew."

"You're not getting her," Zoro snapped.

"That's not your decision to make," Law replied smoothly.

"What?" Luffy asked, scratching his head.

Usopp stepped in between Zoro and Law, ending the discussion as he pointed at Zoro and Luffy, "I'll say it so both of you idiots can understand. If Gully Two can find Rei using the Haki inside him, then Rei can find Zoro using the haki inside her."

"Ooooh!" Luffy said finally catching on, "Shi-shi-shi-shi. Since she's so fast it means we would waste less time trying to find him."

"Most of the time we're trying to find you!" Zoro snapped back.

"But that would mean us telling Rei about you giving her your Haki," Robin said, "So that won't work until she knows."

They looked at Zoro as it was his decision whether or not to tell Rei. He scowled back at them. "I don't need anyone to keep track of me. She doesn't need to know."

"He gave her a lot of his haki," Chopper contemplated, "Maybe Zoro can track Rei!"

"Oy, Chopper!" Zoro retorted, "That doesn't matter. I wanted to talk to you about something else more important."

"What is it?" Chopper asked but Zoro shot Law another annoyed look.

"I'd rather not talk to you in front of him. Can we go into your medical room?" Zoro said.

"Whatever you want to ask, you can say it with me here," Law said.

"That's not your call!" Zoro snapped.

"It's not like you to be so secretive," Luffy said with a frown, "You can say whatever you want in front of Tra-Guy, we're friends now."

"We're not friends! We're in an alliance!" Law shouted but it fell on deaf ears.

"Besides, we're both doctors so he might be able to help you out with your question," Chopper added.

Law had gained Chopper's trust by helping him infiltrate Caesar's laboratory to get the intel he needed to save the children. For that, Chopper was grateful and he was even more convinced of Law's good intentions when he had operated on the children and removed all the drug infected parts.

Zoro grunted but didn't argue with his nakama. He did have a point. Maybe a second doctor's opinion would help.

"Chopper, what do you know about Life Haki?" Zoro asked.

Chopper blinked. "I'm still in the middle of my research. I have a couple more books to get through from Beffi Island on the subject. Why do you ask?"

"Something happened with Rei earlier today when we were fighting Monet," Zoro said, "Her Haki changed…"

"What do you mean changed?" Nami asked cautiously.

"Her presence changed," Zoro said as he sat down on the grass, cross legged and arms folded in front of him, "She usually fights calmly and strategically."

Chopper nodded, remembering when she had saved him and Usopp from a couple of bounty hunters.

"But her battle with Monet was different," Zoro continued, "She was like a demon that couldn't be stopped. It was like-"

"You," Robin finished for him, "She fought like you."

"How did you-?" Zoro started to ask.

"Rei told me," Robin said and she put up a hand to stop Zoro from asking another question,"Don't worry. She doesn't know it's your Haki. She just thinks its a new energy that she had suddenly developed."

Zoro sighed and kept his face blank as he waited for the two doctors to help him figure this out. He knew this was out of his element.

"Do you know about Life Haki, Law?" Chopper asked, "We recently just found out about it when we met Rei on Beffi Island."

"No," Law admitted, "I've never been to Beffi Island. they guard their knowledge heavily when it comes to the Forbidden Haki's.

"Do you think there's any other side effects to her having my haki?" Zoro asked.

"I don't think so," Chopper said, "All the studies I've read so far have shown that getting additional life force helps sustain your life and doesn't hurt it. Nothing about personality changes."

"But…" Law interjected with a solemn expression.

"But?" Zoro asked.

"If she starts to fight like you," Law said, 'If she becomes a demon, she'll start to put herself in more reckless situations."

Zoro frowned. This is not what he wanted to hear.

"What made her change?" Chopper asked.

"Monet said she was weak and not a worthy opponent," Zoro replied.

"So what did she do?" Chopper said.

"She cut her head off," Zoro said with a devilish grin.

"WHAT?!" Chopper screamed.

"Another monster fighter," Usopp wailed, "We're going to get into more dangerous situations now, won't we?"

Law ignored the sniper and kept his attention on Zoro. "How much Haki did you give her?"

"Enough," Zoro replied shortly.

"We'll need to keep a close eye on her," Law said.

" _We'll_  do that," Zoro said harsly, "This is our crew's business, not yours."

"Like I said, whether she stays in this crew is her decision, not yours," Law said, "But don't worry about Rei-ya. She's a genius. She'll be able to keep herself safe."

Chopper nodded in agreement. "I believe in Rei," he said with a smile.

As if on cue, Rei walked out of the girls' quarters, ending the conversation. She looked around everyone's solemn expression as they eyed her.

"What is everyone staring at?" she asked, nervously touching her face to see if anything odd had happened to it to cause them to stare.

"N-n-n-nothing!" Usopp stammered as he tried to play it cool, "We were just wondering what your dad wrote to you. Is everything okay?"

The rest of the Straw Hats nodded earnestly at the lie.

"Yes," Rei said with a smile, "Everything is fine. He's just wondering how everyone is."

She expertly tied a new note to Gully Two's leg. She gave the bird another hug before releasing him, "I told him that he shouldn't send Gully Two after us from now on since we're getting further away."

"Rei-ya-" Law started to say but Rei cut him off.

"Don't worry. I made no mention of our plan. I just said we're exploring the New World and on our way to make Luffy the King of Pirates," Rei said.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy laughed, "So you didn't lie."


	29. Sanji's Help

There was no greater gift than presenting a lady with a delicious meal, in Sanji's opinion. Even though he had refuted Luffy's request for a feast, the Straw Hat's cook decided he was going to at least bake a cake for Rei-chan. After all, finding one's dream was a very special occasion and she was a very special lady.

True, her figure paled in comparison to Nami-san and Robin-chan's but out of all the crew members, Rei-chan's palette was the most refined. She was the biggest fan of Sanji's cooking and every dish he bestowed upon her was met with delight and appreciation. Of course, it was a very different excitement that Luffy expressed before every meal. The rubber man would be happy if Sanji had served grilled meats three times a day.

Rei-chan had grown up eating her father's cooking. It was so horrible that Sanji refused to recognize it as food of any kind. Because of that, she earnestly savored every bite of food that Sanji had made. She treated every morsel, every crumb with care as she contemplated the flavors. Her appreciation was not lost on Sanji.

 _Yes_ , Sanji thought to himself as he took all the ingredient he needed from the pantry and onto the kitchen counter,  _This will be the ultimate dessert Rei-chan will ever taste._

He was in the middle of preparing the batter of the 3 tiered cake when the guest of honor walked into the kitchen herself.

"Rei-chan," Sanji said in surprise as he whisked the ingredients together, "How can I help you?"

"I actually have something to ask you," Rei replied nervously, "Robin suggested I talk to you about...matters of the heart?"

"Ooh! Robin-chan said that?" Sanji cried, "What can I help you with?"

"I don't know where to start," Rei admitted hesitantly.

"Not a problem, my lady," Sanji said as he twirled with his whisk and bowl towards the fridge, opening the door with his foot, "I have some onigiri for you to eat. Why don't you eat while we chat?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she walked over to the fridge. "Thank you. I am actually a bit hungry. I didn't eat much back at the island because I spent most of the time getting information from Caesar."

She grabbed the plate and sat down at the kitchen counter where she ate the rice ball delicately. "Mmm," she said, "I like this flavor. It's salty with a bit of sweetness and fattiness to it."

"That's the salted salmon, Rei-chan," Sanji said, his heart soaring for having his flavors recognized, "Do you like it?"

"Very much," she said with a smile.

Suddenly, the swordsman barged in, flinging the door open. _That idiot_ , Sanji thought to himself,  _Rei-chan is about to confide in me and he just had to storm in and ruin the moment._

The shitty marimo never entered the kitchen unless it was meal time and Sanji knew he wasn't hungry. He had watched Zoro eat at least three bowls of stew and countless mugs of sake at Punk Hazard. The cook was right and the swordsman had no interest in food. In fact, he was studying Rei-chan with great care.

Rei nervously ate her food. After her conversation with Robin back on Punk Hazard, she wasn't really sure how to act around Zoro and how she felt about him. She had hoped Sanji might be able to help her but now she couldn't say anything with Zoro being in the room.

Sanji raised an eyebrow as he watched the tension build between the two.

"Oy, Marimo," Sanji said trying to sound nonchalant while he turned on the oven, "If you want an onigiri, there's another one in the fridge."

"I'm not hungry," Zoro dismissed, not looking away from Rei.

"Then what are you doing in my kitchen?" Sanji asked exasperatedly.

Zoro shot an annoyed glance at the cook. He made it a point to walk slowly towards Rei, pull out the chair next to her, and sit down. "I can be in the kitchen for as long as I want whenever I want, Snail Brow," he scowled and then he turned as attention back to Rei, who was almost done with her oni giri.

W _hen did my favorite food became her favorite food?_ , he wondered,  _Was this a coincidence or part of the side effects from my haki?_

"Oy, you shitty swordsman!" Sanji yelled, snapping Zoro from his thoughts, "If you're not going to eat and you're not hungry, get out. You're wasting my time."

"I can be in here as much as anybody else, Dartboard!" Zoro snapped back, "I don't see you yelling at Rei, Nami, or Robin whenever they come in here, you creepy perv."

"That's because none of those mellorines are an idiot like you!" Sanji yelled.

"Well, I'm done with my food," Rei interrupted the pair and stood up from her chair, "I guess I'll just leave now."

"But Rei-chan, didn't you want to-?" Sanji started to ask as Rei but she shot a quick look at Zoro before Saniji could finish his sentence.

"I just wanted a little snack," Rei hurriedly said before placing her empty plate in the sink, "I'll go back outside and check up on the rest of the guys."

Sanji sighed. Of course she wouldn't want to talk about it with that green haired oaf in the room.

Zoro started to stand up from his chair and Rei gave him a confused look. "Did you come in here to talk to me?"

"Huh?" Zoro asked taken aback, "No! Why would you think that?"

"Are you following me then?" Rei questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Zoro gulped and quickly sat back down at his chair. "Of course not. Don't think so highly of yourself, Know-It-All? Why do I need a reason to come in and out of this kitchen as I please?" he asked indignantly.

"I guess," Rei said, although she didn't sound convinced. She made her way out the door but not before turning back to give Zoro one last questionable look.

As soon as the door closed, Zoro put his hand over his eyes and took a deep breath.  _Shit_ , he thought, _What am I even doing?_

"Oy, Marimo," Sanji said coolly as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Zoro lifted his hand and looked over at Sanji. "What?"

Sanji took a long inhale of the fumes before letting out an equally long stream of smoke. "If you need my help with the ladies, just ask."

* * *

The Straw Hats had no clue what was going on inside the kitchen but it sounded like Zoro and Sanji were waging a war against each other. They heard punches and kicks, curse words that would even make a pirate blush, and then sudden silence and lowered voices before it would start all over again.

"I refuse," Zoro grunted as he folded his arms over his chest and rested his feet back up onto the table.

"It's not that hard!" Sanji said, stifling the urge to kick the swordsman in the head, "Just repeat after me."

Sanji held out a long stemmed rose as he spun one time around before landing on his knees and holding the rose towards the stove, pretending that it was the object of his affections, "Oh, beautiful lady. I'm prepared to be a lowly pirate or a devil when I'm with you."

Zoro's whole body contracted at the thought of him doing anything remotely close to that. Everything the love cook was repulsive on a normal scale but this was just beyond what the swordsman could handle.

"Only an idiot like you would say that!" he said as he slammed his palm down on the counter top and stood up. "I already said I didn't need your help."

"Of course you need my help," Sanji snapped as he got back up to his feet, "You're the worst when it comes to treating a lady."

"You're one to talk, you creepy perv," Zoro scoffed.

"Better than being a bully," Sanji said, raising a fist at the swordsman, "Every time you two are together you are either yelling at her or fighting with her."

"I know that!" Zoro shouted back at Sanji, "I'm not an idiot, Dartboard!"

"Well, you're sure acting like one, Shitty Marimo!" Sanji retorted, "It's bad enough that you both know nothing about matters of the heart and now you're confusing the hell out of her. She even came to me for help."

That seemed to wipe the anger out of Zoro completely and a shocked expression took over his face. "She did? When?"

"Just now, you jerk!" Sanji raged, "She was just about to ask me for advice when you barged in. You two might be the biggest idiots on this ship. You for treating such a delicate flower that way and her for liking a meathead like you!"

Zoro blinked. "She does?"

"Of course, she does!" Sanji said exasperatedly, "Why do you think I haven't been courting her and spoiling her like I do with Nami-swan and Robin-chwan?"

"I thought it was because Nami and Robin had bigger breasts," Zoro replied before taking his seat again.

"HOW SHALLOW DO YOU THINK I AM?!" Sanji yelled with fangs growing out of his teeth.

Sanji took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was doing this for Rei-chan. He mentally counted backwards from ten while simultaneously praying to a higher power to give him the strength and patience to deal with the swordsman.

Zoro shrugged and waited for the cook to stop flaring his nostrils at him. "So what do I do?"

Sanji turned towards the oven to do a quick check on the cakes. "Just do what she likes to do."

"But even she doesn't know what she likes to do," Zoro argued.

Sanji sighed and he returned to face his nakama, "Have you even tried to get to know her?"

"I already do," Zoro said, "She's a genius and a strong fighter."

"There's more to her than that," Sanji snapped.

"That's all I need to know," Zoro said.

"What about her?" Sanji asked.

"What  _about_  her?" Zoro asked confused.

"What does she know about you?" Sanji said, "We know everything about her. We practically took over her life. But does she know anything about you?"

Zoro remained silent as he contemplated Sanji's words.  _Damn it,_  he thought, _he has a point._

"I never thought I'd see the day," Sanji commented.

"Huh?" Zoro asked.

"When the marimo actually cared about something besides his swords and sake," Sanji said with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you think I want this?" Zoro snapped, jumping to his feet, "The last thing I want is to get tangled up with some woman. They bring nothing but trouble. Besides, my focus is to be the strongest swordsman in the world."

"Is your dream so small that a woman can distract you from it so easily?" Sanji countered.

Zoro was taken aback by the question.

"And what makes you think she would stop you from achieving your dream? She has her own dreams and focus too, you idiot," Sanji continued as he puffed on his cigarette, "And she may be a woman but she's just as clueless as you when it comes to matters of the heart."

Zoro took offense to that comment and he gritted his teeth. "How am I clueless?"

"Do you even know how you feel about her?" Sanji countered.

"She's my responsibility," Zoro stated.

"She's not a puppy," Sanji shot back, "And if that's all you feel than you wouldn't be here getting my advice."

"You're the one who started giving me suggestions without me even asking," Zoro barked.

"You could've walked out at anytime, you idiot!" Sanji shouted, pointing at the door, "The exit is right there but here you are, not moving from your seat, talking to me about Rei-chan. What does that tell you?!"

"That women bring nothing but trouble," Zoro grumbled.

Sanji swung a leg out at Zoro, who ducked at the last second to avoid getting knocked out. The Love Cook swiftly jumped over the kitchen counter and beside the swordsman.

"You stubborn fool!" Sanji shouted as he prepared himself to take another swing, "Just admit that you like her too."

Zoro pulled out his swords and prepared for battle. "I'll admit nothing!"

"Fine, then just let Tra-guy have her join the Heart Pirates since you don't want her here," Sanji said as he maneuvered his attacks at Zoro to avoid any damage towards the kitchen.

"I'll be damned if I'll let Tra-guy take her," Zoro snapped as blocked Sanji's foot with the hilt of his Wado, "Besides, who says I don't want her."

Sanji's next attack froze mid-air. His foot inches away from Zoro's face. Zoro surveyed the victorious look on the Love Cook's face and wondered if the Love Cook was having some sort of stroke.

"Oy, Love Cook!" Zoro yelled as he slowly lowered his swords, "What's wrong with you"

"...Here," Sanji murmured softly, "Who says I don't want her...here?"

"That's what I said," Zoro scoffed.

"No," Sanji said his voice returning to normal as he gave Zoro a condescending smile, "You didn't say 'here'. You only said, 'who says I don't want her'."

"What does it matter what I said?" Zoro snapped.

Sanji calmly strolled back to behind his kitchen counter and raised an eyebrow towards the swordsman. "You and I both know how you actually feel about her."

Sanji's eyes glared into Zoro's. "Be a man, you shitty marimo."

Zoro matched his intensity just with his one good eye. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"A real man doesn't fight love," Sanji said coolly as he put out his cigarette in an ashtray, "He fights for it."

They stood in silence as Zoro took in Sanji's words and the cook peeked into the oven to check on his cake. Another 10 minutes or so and the cake would be done. He walked back to the counter and started to measure out the sugar, butter, and milk for the frosting.

"Oy, Love Cook," Zoro said as he made his way to the door, "You tell anyone about this conversation and I'll kill you."

"Like I want to admit that I helped you get a girl when I don't have even one for myself?" Sanji replied without looking up from his measuring cups, "Besides I'm only helping you for her and to clear our debt."

Zoro stopped in his tracks and turned back towards the cook. "Huh?"

"Thriller Bark," Sanji explained as he poured the sugar into a mixing bowl without looking at the swordsman, "You might've survived Kuma's punishment to save Luffy but I definitely wouldn't have."

"Tch," Zoro said as he placed a hand on the door, "I didn't do it for you."

"I know," Sanji said, "But as much as I don't want to admit it, you saved my life along with Luffy's so we'll call this even."

"How is this even?" Zoro scoffed as he made his way out the door.

"You're right," Sanji said just before the door closed behind Zoro, "A lady's heart is worth more than that. You owe me. Now, stay out of my kitchen."


	30. Night Watch

_Fight. Win. Kill_

Rei knew she was dreaming. She had to be. She was surrounded in darkness with two red lights shining towards her like laser beams. Unlike her usual dreams though, she couldn't force herself to wake up.

_Fight. Win. Kill_

Those three words kept repeating in her head even though she couldn't see the letters or hear the voices. She could just feel it. She tried to shout but no sound came out. She tried to lift her legs but they were planted firmly on the ground. She looked down at it and to her horror saw that green smoke had wrapped around her ankles holding her in place.

The smoke started to rise by winding its way up her legs. The words were now beating into her and it was starting to hurt. She could her heart beating wildly and her lung starting to hyperventilate. What is this?, she panicked, What do I do?

She shut her eyes and tried to block everything out. This is a dream, she thought, This is all in my head. I can stop this. Wake up, Rei. WAKE UP!

Instantly, the green smoke shot up along Rei's body and forced itself into her through her eyes, nose, and mouth. Rei gasped as she felt the cold and hot sensation run through her body. Monet!, she thought in surprise, It was this energy.

_Fight. Win. Kill. Fight. Win. Kill._

The words were now pounding into her as if it was part of her heart beat. She felt restless and her whole body started to shake with the pent up energy in her. Her whole body started to contort and tense up as she reached into her utility belt. The metal feel from the hilt of her daggers sent a thrilling shock through Rei's nerves and clutched it tightly.

She felt someone coming towards her from the side. It was getting closer.  _Fight. Win. Kill. Fight. Win. Kill._

"Fight. Win. Kill," Rei said, finally finding her voice as she sent one of the daggers flying towards the presence.

Rei woke up to the screams of Nami and her eyes flew open. Rei was stunned to find herself sitting up in her bed, with one hand clutching a dagger, and the other hand extended out where she had thrown the other dagger chain towards the Navigator. She gasped at the sight of Zoro, who was holding onto her dagger by the hilt. The blade was only inches away from Nami, who was standing in the middle of the room.

Robin was also sitting up from her bed and she was staring wide eyed at Rei. They all stood looking at the red haired, as Sanji, Luffy, and Law ran into the room.

"What happened?!" Luffy shouted, "I felt something. Did we get attacked?"

"R-R-R-R-Rei," Nami stammered as she fell backwards onto the floor, with Sanji catching her at the last second, "Y-y-y-y-you were crying out in your sleep. I was making my way over to you when you…."

Rei stared at the dagger that Zoro was still holding onto. The chain was suspended in mid-air with one end on the dagger and the other end leading right below Rei's covers to her utility belt.

"I threw that?" Rei gasped, "At...at you?!"

She drew her arms into her chest and curled up into a ball as she shivered in fear and confusion. Her head was still pounding and her chest was tight. She tried to catch her breath but she felt overwhelmed and terrified. She could feel hot tears starting to pool up in her eyes, which threw her off even more. She hadn't cried since a child. She wasn't a cryer.

"Zoro ran in just in time," Robin explained to the room, "He caught the dagger before it got to Nami."

"Did you feel it with your Observational Haki too, Zoro-ya?" Law asked as he leaned against the door frame.

"Of course," Zoro growled, "I'm still on night watch duty."

"That explains why Usopp and the others didn't run in here too," Robin observed.

"If you had let one scratch on Nami-swan's beautiful face, I would've kicked your ass, you shitty morimo," Sanji muttered as he helped Nami to her feet.

"Oy, is that your way of thanking me for saving her?!" Zoro snapped, "I didn't see you making it in time. Maybe if you're Observational Haki wasn't so weak, you could be the one to save her."

"My Haki is stronger than yours, you jerk!" Sanji yelled.

"Guys!" Nami roared, giving two hard punches on both their skulls, making Zoro drop the dagger, "That's not the point!"

Rei's eyes fell onto the dagger on the floor by Zoro's feet and a tear fell down her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. No one got hurt," Nami said hesitantly as she took a step towards Rei.

"Don't come near me!" Rei cried as she turned her back to them so that they couldn't see her cry.

"What happened, Rei-chan?" Sanji asked.

"I don't know. I had a bad dream," Rei answered, fighting back her tears as she looked down at her white blanket.

She winced at how stupid that reason must've sounded to the group, "Something was coming at me and I attacked it. I thought it was all in my head. I didn't realize...I didn't think..."

Her voice broke as another tear drop fell onto the blanket and she squeezed her eyes shut.  _Get ahold of yourself,_  she screamed in her mind,  _Pull yourself together, Rei!_

Her blanket flew in the air, startling Rei to open her eyes again and turn back to her nakama. Zoro had marched over to her bed and flung her blanket across the room. He wordlessly reached his arms around her waist.

"Zoro," Rei whispered in shock as he leaned over the bed.

"Oy! You shitty swordsman, what are you doing to Rei-chan?!" Sanji yelled as he tried to rush over to them, with Nami pulling him back by his arm.

With a click, Rei felt her utility belt fall from her waist and onto her bed.

"Who wears their weapons to bed?" Zoro scoffed as he put one arm under Rei's knees and the other behind her shoulders. He lifted her up effortlessly like she weighed nothing. He walked out of the room and ignored the disgruntled complaints from the Love Cook and questions from everyone else.

"Only I know how to deal with this," Zoro shouted without looking back at them, "None of you idiots follow me. Just go back to bed."

He gritted his teeth when he felt how violently she was shaking. She had buried her face in the crook of his neck and he could feel a few warm tears on his skin. She needed a place to cry and he needed to handle this in private. He wanted to head back to the Crow's Nest but that would mean flinging Rei over his shoulder to climb up the ladder. It was one thing to do it with an unconscious Tashigi but this was different. Rei was in a delicate state and he did not want to move her anymore than he had to.

"Ow! Zoro, need me to take over your shift?" Franky asked as he stood by the railings, looking out with a pair of binoculars.

"If you don't mind," Zoro said.

"I super don't mind. Just make sure Rei-sis is okay," Franky replied nonchalantly as he made his way up to the Crow's Nest.

Zoro headed into the library and sat down along the benches with Rei on his lap. She had her arms around his neck. She was no longer crying but she was still trembling. Zoro moved his hand down her back and rubbed circles on her back. He had only seen people do it to cats and they seemed to enjoy it so he thought it was worth a shot.

"Oy, Know It All," Zoro said softly as pressed his nose into her hair, "You're okay. It was just a nightmare."

"Bad dreams only happen in the mind," came Rei's muffled reply as she kept her face against the crook of his neck, "This was more than just a dream."

Zoro sighed as he continued to rub her back. The trembling was starting to only come in waves now so it must be helping in some way. "I know."

"How do you know?" Rei asked.

"I used to get those dreams too," Zoro replied.

"You did?"

Rei finally raised her head and she stared up at the swordsman. He scowled at the sight. There were a couple of dried tear paths down her face and her eyes were shining from the moisture. She looked so vulnerable and scared. He did not like that look on her.

"Ah," Zoro said as he averted his eyes and stared at the bookshelves in front of him, "I used to dream that I was fighting and I'd wake up with my swords and my room in pieces."

"When did these dreams happen?"

"It was when I first started being a bounty hunter."

"Did you ever hurt anyone?" Rei asked.

"Yes," Zoro replied.

"I traveled alone and slept alone so those who came into my room in the middle of the night weren't friendly so hurting them wasn't the worst thing in the world."

"I didn't know that," Rei said softly.

Zoro winced as the Love Cook's words echoed in his head.  _What does she know about you?_

"I travelled around the East Blue collecting bounty to make ends meet. That's how I earned my name as the 'Pirate Hunter'. I was usually on my own," Zoro shared, "Then I met Luffy and the others. Now I can never get any peace and quiet."

"Is that when you found your dream?" Rei asked.

"Huh? I just told you that's when the nightmares first started." Zoro was annoyed at having to repeat himself.

"No, I meant your dream of becoming the strongest swordsman in the world," Rei corrected.

Zoro's hand stopped circling Rei's back as he stiffened and looked down at her. The veins along his neck tightened as he struggled with an answer. It took him years to even mention Kuina to Luffy and the rest of the crew still don't know. There was a strong chance Luffy has forgotten who Kuina was. Not his fault though, Zoro had brought her up in passing and it was so long ago. Zoro knew his captain's attention to detail was smaller than his so it wasn't that big of a deal if Luffy didn't remember. If he told the Know It All, though...She'd remember for sure.

_Be a man._

Zoro scowled at the sound of the Love Cook's voice. Even if it came from his own head, it was still annoying.

"No, my dream was shared with a friend from my childhood," he said after awhile.

"Tashigi?"

He blinked. "Why would you think it was her?"

"You act different around her."

"You do too," he pointed out.

"I was jealous," Rei stated.

Zoro stared at her. On one hand he was in disbelief that Rei would just admit something like that so casually but on the other, she had always been blunt and liked to cut to the chase.  _An honest pirate_ , Zoro thought,  _go figure._

A smirk on Zoro's face appeared and leaned lower so that his forehead was right above hers. "I didn't know Know-It-Alls could get jealous," he teased, "Especially over a Copy-Cat."

"Why do you call her that?" Rei asked.

Now it was Zoro's turn to find the right words. He lifted his head up and stared up at the ceiling. "Because she reminds me of the friend I lost."

"Oh."

"Kuina," Zoro said softly, "My friend's name was Kuina."

They sat in silence for awhile.

"Thank you for sharing something so private with me," Rei finally said.

Zoro grunted in response, appreciating her understanding.

"How did the dreams stop?" Rei asked.

Zoro was slightly taken aback by the change of subject but he noticed that Rei had stopped shaking so he decided to roll with it. "Over time. You get used to it and you start anticipating what would happen. You learn to control it."

"How?"

"By training," Zoro stated.

Rei sat up a little straighter so she was eye level with the swordsman. "You train in your dreams?"

"Of course."

"So what should I do when I have another dream like that?" Rei asked.

"Let it happen."

"What if I hurt Nami or Robin?"

"Just don't sleep near your weapons, you idiot," Zoro shot back.

"I don't just fight with my dagger chains," Rei said as she looked down at her hands, "I'm trained to fight in all sorts of situations. Should I just sleep in handcuffs?"

"Like a prisoner?" Zoro scoffed, "Besides, you might break your wrists. You'll just need to sleep by yourself until you learn to control it."

"Where?" Rei asked.

Zoro contemplated it for a moment. "The sick bay. Chopper has a bed there."

"What if I break his equipment?"

"Better his supplies than his neck," Zoro pointed out.

Rei thought about his words. Her forehead was wrinkled with worry as she thought about all the other disasters that could happen.

Zoro grunted and knocked his forehead gently against hers. "Idiot, quit worrying. I'll stop you before it gets too dangerous for you and for everyone else."

"How will you know when to stop me?" Rei asked as his eye glared into hers.

"I stopped you from hurting Nami, didn't I?" Zoro retorted.

"But you had your Observational Haki activated. What if you're asleep? You won't be able to sense me. Nami says you don't even wake up when we're in the middle of a storm," Rei pointed out.

Zoro scowled. He could be in a coma and still be able to sense his Haki in Rei, especially if it escalates to the level that it just did. The only reason why he got there in time before Sanji and the others was because it was his own Haki. He was sure of it. No one else would be able as sensitive to it as he would be and Nami would've been dead if it was anyone else's Haki...

But then again, no one else's Haki would cause something like this. He didn't expect his adolescent habit of nightmares was going to be passed onto Rei. He hadn't thought about those dreams in years. It had happened long before he learned about Haki and he never made the connection.

"I'll stop you," Zoro said assertively.

"What if I have another bad dream again tonight?" Rei asked quietly.

"Sleep here," Zoro replied, "I'm supposed to be on night watch anyways. Just go to sleep and I'll wake you up if you have another bad dream."

"What if I hurt you?"

Zoro raised his hand to show her the bandages from their earlier fight. "Are you trying to break Sanji's record of the most fights with me in a day, Know It All?"

"I'm serious," Rei said.

Zoro gave a condescending smirk. "I'll think of it as training. A Commander of Beffi Island could be a worthy sparring partner."

"Zoro," Rei pleaded, "I'm serious."

"So am I," Zoro said, his expression turning solemn, "I said I'll stop you before it gets bad and I will."

"You promise to stop me?" Rei asked.

"Yah," Zoro said impatiently, "Now go back to sleep."

Rei leaned her head back against his shoulder as she took a deep breath. Her eyes felt heavy, as it was tired from crying. "You promise that you'll be there when the dreams get really bad?" she said with a yawn.

"Yah."

She closed her eyes and felt herself drifting back into sleep.

"Will you promise….to protect the others from me?" she mumbled.

"Yah."

"Will you promise…" She fell asleep before she could finish her last question.

"Yah." Zoro sighed softly as he rested his chin against the top her of her head, "I promise to protect you."


	31. Landing in Dressrosa

By the time Zoro woke up, the sun was already up and Rei was gone. He had fallen asleep sitting up in the library and both his arms were spread wide on top of the bench. He tried to rub the stiffness out of his neck as he stood up and walked out of the room.  _How long have I been asleep?_

When he was approaching the lawn deck, he saw that everyone was huddled together in the center.

"Oy! What's going on?" he called out with a yawn.

Luffy's head shot up from the middle of the huddle, startling everyone around him with the sudden extension of his neck. Nami, Usopp, and Chopper both fell backwards and landed on their rears from jumping up in surprise. "Oh! Zoro, you're up! We just got the newspaper!"

"Say good morning like a normal person, you jerk!" Usopp complained as he stood up with his hand on his back.

"Sorry," Luffy said with a chuckle.

Zoro continued to rub his neck as he walked down the steps. Usopp, Chopper, and Nami had broken the huddle by their fall and he could see that they had gathered around Luffy and Law, who were sitting cross legged with the morning newspaper spread out between them. The samurai and his son were sitting by the mast and away from the group but still within earshot, while Caesar Clown sat dejectedly with his hands cuffed at the other end of the deck.

"Come look at the front page, Zoro-san," Brook said, motioning for the swordsman to come over.

"Why? Did my bounty get higher?" he asked sleepily.

"Is that all you care about?" Nami snapped, "Have you forgotten where we're headed?"

"Huh?" Zoro growled as he made his way down the final steps to get to the lawn.

"Doflamingo resigned!" Usopp wailed.

"Which means we'll need to call him and arrange a drop off," Rei said, glancing over at Caesar Clown.

Zoro looked over at the red head and was surprised to see her wearing an apron. There was a slight bulge around her waist, which indicated that she had tied it over her utility belt. He was about to call out and ask her what the deal was with her get-up when the ringing of the transponder snail interrupted him.

_Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru._

Zoro frowned and made his way over to the group, standing behind Luffy as he looked over him to see the paper at his feet. "Donquixote Doflamingo Withdraws from the Seven Warlords," he read the headline out loud.

He looked over at the frightened faces of Usopp and Chopper. "So what? That's what we asked him to do. It means our plan is working."

"Shut up!" Usopp snapped, "We just officially declared a public war. Do you know how much danger we're in now?"

Zoro was about to say something back when the other end of the transponder snail picked up.

_Clank._

"It's me. I resigned from the warlords," came Doflamingo's jeering voice.

"He picked up!" Usopp and Chopper gasped.

"Doflamingo!" Luffy shouted, jumping up to his feet in a fighting stance.

"Shhhhhhh!" Usopp hissed with his fingers pressed against his lips, "He will hear you!"

"Hello? I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy exclaimed, wrenching the receiver from Law's hand to shout into it, "I'm gonna become the King of Pirates."

Usopp immediately knocked Luffy on the head. "I told you to shut up!"

"Oy! Mingo!" Luffy continued, unfazed by his sniper and doctor's attempts to remove him from the snail, "Are you stupid, old Caesar's boss? He gave Brownbeard and the children hell! We will give Caesar back as we promised but if you do that again, I will beat the hell out of you."

"Straw Hat Luffy," Doflamingo said coolly, "You went away for two years after your brother died. Where were you and what were you doing?"

"I shouldn't tell anyone about it," Luffy yelled.

"I wanted to see you," Doflamingo said, "I have something that you'll want very badly now."

"Something...that I'd want?" Luffy asked in surprise.

Luffy's eyebrows twitched as saliva dripped out of his lips and his eyes gleamed. "Hey! How delicious is that meat you're talking about?!"

Law's hand pressed up against Luffy's cheek. "Straw Hat-ya! Don't get drawn into his pace!"

It was too late and Luffy's head was buzzing with the possibilities of the delicious meats and how much of it he could get from Doflamingo.

"Keep yourself together!" Usopp shouted, shaking his captain furiously by his collar, "This is a special attack called 'His Pace'!"

"I think he means don't get caught in his mind games," Rei said as Law picked up the receiver that Luffy had dropped.

"Joker, cut the crap!" he yelled into the mic, "We'll hand Caesar over to you as we promised. Eight hours from now, at the beach on the southeast side of Green Bit. We will leave Caesar there at three in the afternoon. You can pick him up then and this will all be finished."

_Clank._

"Wait!" Sanji protested, "We didn't tell him how many men he could bring! What are we going to do if he brings the whole crew?"

"Damn!" Usopp and Chopper cried out in horror, "We're doomed!"

"Actually, that's a good thing. The more the better," Rei said calmly as she looked at Law, "Caesar is just a bait to lure them towards Green Bit, the solitary island north of Dressrosa."

Usopp caught on quickly. "So destroying the SMILE factory while it's unguarded is our main purpose?"

"Yes, but we don't know where it is," Law said, "I have intelligence on everything but the factory."

"Since it's such a precious asset," Nami surmised, "There must be a secret to it."

"Tra-guy, have you been to Dressroba?" Luffy asked with a grin.

"Dressrosa!" Law corrected angrily, "I've never been there. It's that bastard's kingdom."

"Then let's figure out everything once we get there," Luffy said with his hands behind his head and a wide grin on his face, "It's going to be an adventure."

"Idiot!" Law shouted, "You can't just show up without a plan-"

"Sanji, I'm hungry!" Luffy whined, not listening to the Heart Pirate.

"Okay, guys," Sanji called out to the group, "Breakfast has already been prepared. We're having sandwiches. Today's meal has been specially prepared with the help of the lovely Rei-chan"

"Oh! Food!" Luffy shouted excitedly, jumping to his feet and running past the love cook and his new sous chef.

Zoro glanced over at Rei with a raised eyebrow. That explains the apron. But why?

"Let's go, Tra-guy," Zoro said as he extended out his arms to stretch out his back, "We can talk while we eat."

Law glowered at the swordsman and his captain's flippant attitude, while the rest of the Straw Hats made their way up to the kitchen. He picked up the newspaper as he begrudgingly followed them. "I don't like bread."

His turned red at how childish he sounded and he hated himself a little for being caught up in the Straw Hats' leisurely attitude. As he walked past Rei, she took the newspaper from his hand and studied it.

"Rei made some onigiri for Zoro," Sanji said nonchalantly as he, Rei, and Zoro climbed the stairs last behind Law, "But you can have that."

Zoro was about to make his way into the kitchen when he froze in his tracks. Zoro turned back towards Rei, who was still reading the paper next to Sanji and he raised an eyebrow at her. "You did what for me, Know It All?"

"I wanted to thank you for yesterday and also do something nice for Nami. Sanji was up by the time I was awake so I asked him if I could help him with kitchen duties," Rei said without looking up from the paper. She lifted it a little higher so that Zoro couldn't see her blush.

Zoro wasn't having it and made his way over to her. He pushed the paper down gently so he could lock eyes with the red head. "So you made onigiri for me and Nami?"

Rei kept a solemn expression, as she hid how flustered she felt inside. "Just you. I made Nami's favorite sandwiches for her. Sanji showed me how you guys liked your food. It might not be as good but I wanted to do something for you two since I almost killed Nami yesterday. And to thank you for agreeing to help with my...training."

"Oy, Know It All," Zoro said as he lifted his hand so that the newspaper covered Rei's face again.

"Yah?" Rei asked.

"You're rambling," the swordsman stated arrogantly as he turned his attention to Sanji, "And Tra-guy can't have my onigiri."

"Oy, you shitty morimo, just eat a damn sandwich," Sanji argued, "Don't you dare waste food on this ship."

"Then make him another onigiri then," Zoro shot back, "And I'll eat his sandwich so nothing is wasted."

"Okay, I'll go-," Rei responded as she folded up the newspaper but Zoro grabbed her arm to stop her from heading into the kitchen.

"Let the love cook do his job," Zoro growled, glaring at the chef, "Unless there's something you want to thank or apologize to Tra-guy for?"

Sanji gave Zoro an annoyed look back and bit back an angry retort, before taking a deep breath and looking over at Rei. "Go enjoy your meal, Rei-chan. I can take over from here. Feeding everyone is my responsibility after all."

"Okay," Rei said with a smile, "I hope I wasn't too much of a burden in the kitchen."

"It is my honor to teach a lady how to cook," Sanji replied, "And you did great. No one would've known it was your first time cooking. You caught on fast."

"I'm a genius," Rei stated, "And I'm good with a knife."

"Sanji-kun!" Nami's voice called out from the kitchen, "Did you do something different for my sandwich?"

Rei hurriedly freed Zoro's hand from her arm and rushed into the room to Nami's side, "I made your breakfast today. Is it not okay?"

Nami glanced at Rei in surprise, "You made this?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for last night and social protocol states that-" Rei said nervously.

Nami took a big bite out of the sandwich before Rei could finish her sentence. "It's good, Rei. Thank you for the gesture but if you wanted to apologize, you should just give me 5000 bellis."

"Oy, you debt witch!" Zoro shouted as he sat at the end of the table, "Just eat your sandwich and accept her apology graciously."

It was too late as Rei reached under her apron and pulled out crisp bills out of her utility belt. "Here you go," she said, "I really am sorry."

Nami pushed the cash away, much to the Straw Hats' surprise. "I was joking, Rei," she said as she continued to eat her sandwich, "I accept your apology."

"What?!" Usopp gasped in surprise, "Nami is turning down money?"

"I'm letting her off just this once," Nami snapped, "All of you have put me in needlessly dangerous situations at one point or the other and I've let you guys off the hook plenty of times. You all owe me millions of Bellis if I decided to collect."

She glared up at Rei, "If you do that to me again, the fine will be more than that. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly," Rei said with a nod, "And it won't happen again. I'll move out of the girl's quarters and sleep in Chopper's office until I can get the dreams under control."

"But-" Robin started to protest but Zoro cut her off.

"I'll keep an eye out on her."

"Oy," Law called out, reminding the Straw Hats of his presence, "You guys can figure out Rei-ya's situation later. Right now we need to focus on Doflamingo. We will arrive in Dressrosa soon and hand off Caesar Clown."

"I can't believe the whole world knows about this now," Rei said as she took a seat on the bench along the wall and re-read the newspaper.

"I know!" Usopp wailed, "We made Doflamingo resign from being a Warlord. He's going to come after us even more. We're dead!"

"Not that," Rei said as she turned the paper around so the Straw Hats could see what she was concerned with, "I can't believe they knew about our alliance already."

On the page was a side by side picture of Luffy and Law with an article proclaiming to the world of the Straw Hats and Heart Pirates' new alliance.

"We'll need to keep an eye out for whoever this freelance writer is. Absa seems to be getting important information fast," she continued.

"AH!" Usopp screamed as he pointed at the photo, "I'm behind Luffy in that picture. I'm so dead!"

They all inched closer to the photo to get a better look and they spotted the picture of Usopp faintly in the corner.

"It's just your back, Usopp," Rei said, "You'll be fine."

"Did you also see the other alliance?" Robin asked as she put down her cup of tea.

"Yes," Rei said, "Looks like we're not the only crew of the Worst Generation that is after one of the Yonkos. Scratchman Apoo, Basil Hawkins, and Captain Kidd...They are working together now. I hope they're not after Uncle Shanks."

"Shanks will be fine!" Luffy said with a laugh, "He's strong."

Rei nodded in support to her captain but inside she still felt a little worry.

Zoro sat at the other end of the table as he lazily scanned the newspaper in Rei's hand. It didn't report anything of interest to him so he only paid half the attention. He stifled a yawn as he ate his breakfast. The rice was a bit firmer than usual and he wondered how long it took Rei to make it. It definitely wasn't up to Sanji's level but it wasn't terrible.

"After handing over Caesar and destroying the SMILE factory," Law was saying, interrupting Zoro's thoughts, "I was gonna head for Zou. My crew is waiting for me there."

"Zou?!" Kin'emon shouted as his son's eyes shined with excitement, "That's where we had initially set sail for! Can I go with you there?"

"Yes you can!" Luffy exclaimed, "Let's go there and then the Wano Kingdom next!"

Rei glanced over at Law, who was beyond frustrated at her captain's lack of care for his plan.

"Three samurais, including me, and Momonosuke headed for Zou but our ship wrecked and two of us samurai and Momonosuke drifted to Dressrosa," Kin'emone explained.

"But we had been chased by Doflamingo and the others and I ran into an unknown ship," Momonosuke added.

"I tried to escape for the ship and my fellow samurai, Kanjuro tried to cover me and got caught," Kin'emone finished sadly.

"Alright! I'm gonna go save him!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Guys! Don't forget our purpose!" Law yelled angrily.

"Dressrosa," Rei interrupted, stopping Law from ruining the rubber man's fun, "I've heard about their tournaments there."

"Oh," Sanji said remembering Beffi Island, "Is it like the tournaments you have at home, Rei-chan?"

"No," Rei said with a sense of pride, "Our's is a tournament of strategic battle and intellect. It's not just two warriors clashing and it isn't to the death."

Her eyes narrowed and her voice was filled with disdain as she continued, "The tournaments at Dressrosa are crueler and much more bloody. They do it for entertainment while we do it as a training exercise."

"Would you want to go see it?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow.

 _Is he asking her out on a date?!,_  the Straw Hats thought excitedly.

"No," Rei said not understanding why Usopp, Nami, and Sanji had perked up their ears, "Those tournaments are barbaric. A true warrior wouldn't need to participate to prove his strength."

She took a sip of her coffee and then looked up at everyone, "Besides, someone needs to follow Law's plan and destroy the SMILE factory while you guys go out and explore the island."

Luffy grinned, "Adventure!"

"Hey! Hey!" Law said, "Rei-ya can't be the only one helping me and the only reason why I had you on the group to destroy the factory was for you to keep an eye on Straw Hat-ya."

"I am his tactician," Rei corrected, "Not his caretaker. I can only advise my captain and follow his lead. You'll just need to accept that this won't all go exactly to your plan."

"She's right," Sanji said, "I warned you. There's going to be your way and Luffy's way. Unfortunately for you, Luffy always gets his way."

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy chuckled, "It's going to be fun!"

They finished their breakfast, although Law had a sudden loss of appetite, and docked the ship on the outskirts of Dressrosa right behind some heavy rocks.

"We'll need to disguise ourselves," Franky said as they left the Thousand Sunny.

Rei had left her mask on the ship as it would be drawing more attention that they'd like if she ran around the island with it on. "I don't need a disguise. My wanted poster only shows my mask."

"That means Usopp doesn't need one too," Chopper said.

"I still want one!" Usopp wailed, "You can never be too careful."

"Yes! I can do that!" Kin'emon said, "Dress shirts for men and nothing for the women, that's the Dressrosa way!"

"YES! I LOVE DRESSROSA!" Sanji exclaimed.

Suddenly, two hard lumps formed on Kin'emon and Sanji's head courtesy of Nami. Rei noticed that Zoro had also clenched his fist but Nami had beaten him to the punch.

"Here," Law interrupted ripping a piece of paper in half and giving it to Nami, "This is a Vivre Card that will take you to Zou. Go there if anything happens."

"What do you mean if anything happens?!" Usopp asked nervously.

Law pulled out a map and laid it out on the floor while everyone gathered around him, "This is a map that my crew drew."

He pointed out their current location, the meeting place, and where Doflamingo's palace was. Rei leaned over to see a little better when she felt a slight tug on her arm. She looked back to see that it was Zoro.

He tilted a head to the side and Rei looked in that direction. Luffy was waving excitedly, while Franky gave her a thumbs up. Rei kept a poker face and nodded to the group. She silently and slowly backed away from Law and the others as she let Zoro lead her away, Franky, and Kin'emon. It was supposed to be her group anyways, the one in charge of finding and destroying the Factory.

She walked quietly with the group as they avoided getting caught by the others. She almost said something when she saw Sanji join in, as he was supposed to help guard the Sunny but she bit her tongue. She was too excited about visiting this island. It was the first place she's ever visited as a guest, although considering why she was there, calling herself a "guest" was a bit of a stretch.

She wondered what adventure lay ahead in what people referred to as the island of love and passion.


	32. Love, Passion, and Toys

The island smelled floral and fragrant to the delight of everyone. The town was lively with women dancing in the street and men playing beautiful music. Rei kept turning so that she could see everything and almost slipped on a loose cobble stone in the pavement. She reached out to grab the first thing in front of her to steady herself, which happened to be one of Zoro's swords.

"Oy, oy!" He growled, "Watch your step."

"Sorry," she said as she got back on her feet, "I got carried away."

He sighed and yanked her hand off of Sandai Kitetsu's hilt. He kept his hold on her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. "You need me to guard you while you walk now too, Know It All?"

"I don't-" Rei started to say but Zoro shot her a look that said his decision was not debatable.

He shot the same look to the other men, daring them to comment on this. They all avoided his gaze, while Luffy walked on unaware of anything that was happening behind him.

"Smells so nice!" Sanji commented as he sniffed the air.

Rei inhaled and she was delighted by the scent of perfume and exotic foods. Her smile turned into shock as she saw that some of the people moving around town weren't people at all. Various types of toys talked and walked along the street like normal human beings, from nutcrackers to stuffed animals.

"Toys?" Zoro asked out loud.

Everywhere they looked they saw toys acting as humans. Human parents pushed baby toys and human babies got pushed around by bigger toys. They were blending in and living side-by-side with the humans.

"Don't tell me…" Rei murmured to herself as she continued to walk through the streets with Zoro.

"What is it?" Zoro asked curiously, stopping short and jerking her back, "Do you know what is causing this?"

She turned to him and her face was solemn. "I have a suspicion but I can't be sure."

A sudden scream off in the distance caught Zoro, Rei, and Franky's attention as a toy yelled out, "A man got stabbed!"

A toy nearest to them sighed and said, "Oh again?"

"Again?" Rei asked as she and Zoro made their way over to the toy, "Does this happen often?"

"Yes," the toy answered looking up at the pair, "Women in this country are passionate about love and most are the jealous type. So when a man cheats on a woman, things can get pretty violent."

"Cheat?" Rei asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Zoro still had her hand on his arm so he took that opportunity to divert her away from the toy before the toy could answer. The less Rei knew about a relationship between a man and woman the better, he figured. She already admitted she got jealous of Tashigi. The last thing he wanted was for her to get any ideas.

"The more beautiful they are, the more likely for them to stab a man!" the toy cried out to them.

"How scary," Zoro said under his breath.

"Oooh the island smells delicious!" Luffy cried out with his nostrils flaring, "Let's eat!"

"Should we disguise ourselves first?" Sanji asked.

"Allow me," Kin'emon said as he placed a rock on each of their head.

Rei removed the rock from her head before Kin'emon could work his powers.

"POOF!" he cried at the men.

Suddenly, the men wore white dress shirts and black suits with sunglasses and a fake white mustache and beard. Although, Franky was pantless and kept his bright red mankini on. Luffy, for some reason, was wearing a hawaiian shirt with sunflowers on it and the ribbon on his straw hat was now black instead of red. Rei burst out laughing at the sight.

"Alright! We're in disguise!" Luffy shouted.

"What about you, Rei-chan" Sanji asked as he pushed his sunglasses down to look at Rei.

"Dragon Rider, I could've given you the same suits as the other men" Kin'emon argued.

Rei smiled, "Thank you for your offer but no one will recognize me. They don't know what Red Ghost 'Rei' actually looks like."

"Except for your hair," Zoro pointed out.

"I can easily just go buy a hat over there," she said pointing at a nearby clothing store.

Sanji wasn't sure if Rei on her own would be such a good idea. "Kin'emon can make one for you, Rei-chan."

"I want to talk to the locals. Maybe get some more information on the island," she said. She took some Bellis out of her utility belt and she handed some to Sanji and Zoro. "I don't know how much Nami gave you but here's some more just in case."

"Oooh, you're so generous!" Luffy shouted excitedly as he hopped from one foot to another.

"Where'd you get all this money?" Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Being a Royal Tactician paid well, you know," she said before addressing her captain. "I'll meet you at the restaurant ahead. Is that okay with you, Luffy?"

Luffy smiled, "Fine with me. Let's go, guys!"

"Don't take too long," Zoro said before leaving Rei behind.

Rei nodded. "Ah."

The men went their way and Rei went into the clothing store. Rei was so eager to browse the store and explore the island that she didn't even see the blind man walking over towards Zoro to ask for directions.

She looked in the mirror and frowned at her hair. Zoro was right. If she wanted to go unnoticed, she'd need to cover it up. She found a green baseball cap with a yellow sunflower in the front and shoved all her hair under it.

She looked like a teenage boy. She was never the curvy type but with the extra bandages wrapped around her chest it just made her seem more flat chested. She shrugged and thought nothing more of it. She spotted some large round goggles with black leather straps and decided to get that as well. She didn't have her mask available so the goggles would do the trick to hide some of her face. The less things that can give away her identity, the better.

She went up to the cashier and handed the woman her money. She noticed on the counter that they had the newspaper announcing Doflamingo's resignation and a thought occurred to her.

"Excuse me, miss?" Rei asked.

"Yes," the cashier said with a smile.

"Aren't you worried that your king just resigned from being a warlord?" Rei asked.

The cashier gave a nervous smile, "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Rei admitted, "Is it obvious?"

The cashier gave a small laugh, "A little but it's okay. We get a lot of visitors."

"So about Doflamingo…" Rei said and the cashier's nervousness came out again.

"We'll be fine. We always find a way," the cashier said before taking her money and handing back some change, "Hold onto your money and don't let the fairies take them."

"Fairies? Is that what you call the toys?" Rei asked.

"Oh no! The toys are different. They're our friends!" the cashier said with a giggle.

"So where did the toys come from?" Rei asked.

"No one knows," the cashier said, "But they all live in the Toy House and that's where they sleep at night."

"Toy House?" Rei asked, "The toys don't live with the humans?"

The cashier shook her head. "It's against the law. All the toys report back to the Toy House at the end of every day."

"Do the fairies live there too?" Rei asked.

"Fairies are different. We've never spotted them but in this country we still believe in the myth of fairies. We call them the guardian deities of Dressrosa. They keep us protected but they also go around and steal what they need from us so watch out for your belongings."

"Steal?" Rei repeated. She was about to ask the cashier more questions when she heard sounds of glass shattering and people running.

She hastily thanked the cashier and headed towards the sound, which happened to be in the direction as the restaurant.  _Please don't be involved_ , she kept repeating in her head as she ran down the street,  _Please tell me you guys stayed out of trouble._

When Rei reached the restaurant, she did not know what to think or what to react to first. There was a giant hole in the middle of the restaurant that seemed to reach to the center of the Earth. There was dust everywhere and Zoro, Kin'emon, and Sanji were missing. Franky was holding Luffy by his collar and they seemed to be the only Straw Hats there.

Rei rushed over to them. "What happened?! Did we get attacked?!" she gasped.

"A fairy just stole Zoro's Shusui," Luffy said as he picked his nose, "And this blind man just beat the crap out of these guys who were trying to cheat him from a roulette game."

"Fairy?" Rei said, "So they really do exist? Did you see any of them?"

"You heard about the fairies?" Franky asked.

"Yes, the lady in the store told me about them. Is that where Kin'emon and Sanji went as well? To go after Zoro's sword?" Rei asked.

"Yes and Luffy wants to go after them but I have an idea," Franky said.

"An idea?" Luffy repeated.

"I get it now," Franky said with a confident smile, "When there are only those guys around, I have to take charge."

"Okay, Franky," Rei said, "What's your plan?"

"Leave everything to this big brother," Franky said.

* * *

Rei, Franky, and Luffy stood over a beaten man with long blonde hair and a black mask over his eyes. Apparently he was the one who had tried to swindle a blind man and was beaten by falling into the hole in the middle of the restaurant. Or did he create the hole? Rei wasn't sure as Franky's description was very vague combined with Luffy's explanation of "And then he got his ass kicked."

"You're working under Doflamingo, aren't you?" Franky asked.

"Yeah, so what?!" the man shouted back defiantly as he scrambled to his feet.

"Super that's what we thought," Franky said.

"Do you guys think you can mess with Young Master in Dressrosa and get away with it?" the guy asked condescendingly.

Rei swept her leg under the man's feet causing him to fall back down onto the ground while Franky punched the wall right above him where his face originally was. The intimidation factor seemed to do the trick as the man's attitude quickly changed.

"That's not going to work for us," Franky said as he lifted up his sunglasses so the man could see just how much the cyborg meant it.

"Just tell us what we need to know," Rei added.

"I already said I don't know anything about SMILE or a factory," the man argued, "And I remember trying to capture two samurai but I don't know what happened to the one that got caught!"

"I can't believe this," Luffy said as he crouched on the ground, "Even his own man doesn't know."

"We'll just need to find one of the higher up's," Rei said.

"Tell us where the people of higher rank are," Franky demanded.

"Everyone's too busy today. I don't know where they all are," the guy complained, "I've been summoned to the Colosseum."

"Colosseum?" Luffy asked.

"Corrida Colosseum, where they have their tournaments," Rei said and then she turned her attention back to their captive, "Is there an important tournament today?"

"Everyone in the kingdom is going to the Colosseum today," the man said, "If you want to see high ranked officials, go there!"

"What's the big event?" Rei asked.

"All the executives of our family will be there," the man said, "For whatever reason, our Young Master has offered up an unbelievable prize."

Rei looked at Luffy and then back at the man. "Doflamingo did mention he had something Luffy wanted…" she said, as she went over the clues in her head.

"Delicious meat!" Luffy cheered.

"No," the man said with a sneer, "The prize is…"

"Ace's Flare Flare fruit," Rei interjected, robbing the man the joy of being the bearer of bad news.

"How'd you know?" he said with a disappointed sigh.

"She's a genius," Franky said with a thumbs up at Rei.

"Ace's WHAT?!" Luffy cried, "How?!"

"When a devil fruit eater dies," Rei said sadly as she looked at her captain, "His fruit gets reproduced somewhere in this world. I guess in the two years that you've been gone, Doflamingo managed to track down the fruit after Ace's death. That's why he mentioned your brother during our call today and saying how he wanted to see you. It's also why everyone is excited to see the tournament today. I bet a lot of strong fighters have signed up for a chance at your brother's fruit."

"I want it! The Flare-Flare fruit!" Luffy shouted.

"You already have a devil fruit-" Rei started to say.

"I'm not going to eat it. I just don't want some stranger to hold that power," Luffy said his face turning serious, "Rei! Franky! Why don't one of you two eat it?"

"I don't want to lose my ability to swim," Franky said.

"And I already have enough power," Rei stated, "But I agree that you should get it."

She turned to face the Colosseum. "It's clearly a trap to lure you into the tournament. But it would be worse if your brother's devil fruit fell into the wrong hands."

Franky nodded in support. "You shouldn't let the chance slip by. You don't want to regret it afterward. Besides, we have to go to the Colosseum anyways to find the higher officials."

"Yosh! Let's go to the Colosseum!" Luffy cried.

"Wait," Rei said as she turned her attention back to Doflamingo's henchman. She crouched down so they were eye level. "Tell me about the toys and the Toy House."

"Toy House?" Franky asked, scratching his head.

"Apparently, that's where all the toys stay at night. They aren't allowed to live with humans. At least, that's what the lady from the clothing store told me," Rei said.

"What about them?" the man snapped.

"Where did the toys come from?" Rei asked, drawing out her dagger and pointing it right below his chin.

"I don't know," the man gasped, "But Trebol and Sugar are in charge of them and the Toy House."

"Trebol and Sugar? Are they high ranking officers for Doflamingo?" Rei asked.

"Yes," the man sneered, "But you'll never beat them. Trebol is strong!"

"What about Sugar?" Rei asked, pressing the dagger closer to the guy's skin.

"I've never seen her powers. Trebol is always guarding over her but she must be strong if she's one of the executives in the Donquixote Family," the man whimpered.

"She must be the key to the toys then," Rei murmured.

She released the man, who collapsed onto the ground in fear, and she dusted her knees before standing back up. She looked at Franky and Luffy.

"I think she's a Hobby Hobby Fruit user," she said.

"Hobby Hobby Fruit?" Franky asked, "What's that?"

"She can turn people into toys," Rei answered, "It's the only explanation."

"What does that have to do with Mingo?" Luffy asked, scratching his head, "Why would he want all these toys?"

"Control," Rei said, "Once you turn into a toy, your whole existence is erased from everyone's memory. No one would remember you. So if Doflamingo had anybody who opposed him, he would just turn them into toys."

"So that's why no one knows where the toys come from? Because they don't remember?" Franky asked.

Rei nodded.

"Ow! That's super scary," Franky cried.

"Mingo is such a jerk!" Luffy shouted.

"We'll need to be careful not to turn into toys ourselves," Rei pointed out. She heard some distant cheers in the direction of the Colosseum and she looked over at the building, "But first we need to enter the tournament before it's too late."

Luffy nodded his head solemnly at his two crew members. "Let's go."


	33. Block A Battle

The cheers from the crowd got louder and louder as they approached the Colosseum. By the time they reached it, the noise was a thunderous roar and Rei could practically feel the ground rumble beneath her feet from all the excitement.

"It's huge!" Luffy exclaimed.

"The people are going nuts!" Franky said as they stood out in front, "Makes me want to enter the competition!"

The sound of two gun shots interrupted the three from appreciating the architecture and they turned to see what the source was.

"He's making it harder for us!" a man in a blue and yellow soldier uniform said to his partner.

"Just give up already!" his partner exclaimed, "Stop! You infamous wanted toy soldier!'

They looked towards their target and were shocked to see a one legged tin soldier racing away on one skate.

"You can't shoot me!" he shouted back at the humans.

He leapt up and landed onto the ledge of the Colosseum's second floor balcony and laughed down at the stunned faces of his attackers. "You guys are too slow! Look! I have my foot in the Colosseum! You know the law, don't you? The police and the Navy are not allowed in the Colosseum!"

The men clenched their fists helplessly and walked away in frustration.

"This island is so strange," Franky commented, "Putting a toy on a wanted list?"

"And a very arrogant toy as well," Rei added.

Suddenly, the toy soldier jumped down and landed at their feet. He noticed the white beards on Franky and Luffy's face. "Oh! Elderly people and a kid. Do you need me to help you carry your bags?"

"Wow, he became polite," Franky said under his breath.

"What a funny toy soldier," Luffy laughed.

"We're closing the entries from the public for today's competition!" a woman shouted out, drawing Rei's attention back to the tournament.

"Luffy!" Rei said, "We need to hurry if we want to sign up."

"We?" Luffy asked, he had assumed he would sign up alone.

"I'm going to sign up with you," Rei said in surprise. She thought it had been obvious, "The more people I can take out, the less you'll have to fight to get to Ace's devil fruit."

Luffy grinned, "Okay but if it comes down to me and you, I'll still fight you for it."

"Don't worry," Rei said as they made their way to the sign up podium, "I'll disqualify myself when the time comes."

"We'd like to enter!" Luffy shouted, "Enter! Enter! Enter!"

"WHAT?!" the toy soldier gasped, "You're too old and you're too young!"

Luffy's laugh interrupted the toy soldier as he and Rei started to fill out the forms.

"Promise me one thing, guys," Franky whispered over their shoulders, "You can fight as you like but don't ever let them know who you are."

"Okay," Luffy and Rei said.

"Sign your name, please," the woman at the front desk said.

"Luf-" Luffy started to say.

"Rei," Rei stated.

Both got a hard punch from Franky's fist. " What did I just say?!"

"Lucy!" Luffy corrected as he hurriedly completed the form.

"Raymond" Rei said as she rubbed the lump on her head. Telling lies just was not her strong suit.

They were each handed a piece of paper to attach to their backs. Luffy's said No. 556, Lucy, while Rei's said No. 557, Raymond. Then, they were lead into the Colosseum with Franky until an iron gate closed in between them.

"Sorry. Beyond this point, competitor's only," the woman explained and then looked over to Rei and Luffy, "Please follow me."

"Just go ahead and beat them up," Franky whispered to the two before they went off in opposite directions, "But keep a low profile!"

Luffy gave him a thumbs up, "Just count on me!"

"Good luck finding the higher up's!" Rei said to Franky with a confident smile, "And find out more about the Toy House and Sugar."

"Sugar?!" the toy soldier sputtered. He nearly fell from his perch Franky's shoulders, "How did you guys-?"

"I'll explain later, Toy-Bro," Franky said as he ran off with a final thumbs up to Luffy and Rei.

The Straw Hat and his strategist were lead through the Colosseum and arrived in a large area where many people were warming up and getting ready to fight.

"This is the dressing room for competitors," their guide explained, "You're free until we call you. It will be soon, though, Raymond. Block A will be starting shortly."

Rei nodded to the woman to let her know she understood, while Luffy wandered ahead.

"Wow! It's filled with excitement!" Luffy exclaimed as Rei walked behind him.

Luffy and Rei toured around the area as they marveled at the different types of fighters before them. There were swordsman, boxers, and even gladiators. Rei knew that her and Luffy were attracting unneeded attention as people started to whisper around them.

"Hey, who are the two little guys?" one of them said.

"Can we use any weapons we want?" Luffy asked Rei, oblivious to the glances as they made their way around the room.

"I think so," Rei said.

She could feel the intensity heightening the longer people looked at them and Rei wondered why. Her question was quickly answered.

"This is the kind of joke I hate the most!" a man spat out angrily.

They turned to see a very big gladiator with an orange cape draped over his shoulders. "Hey, you brats, this is a fighting arena! It's no fun seeing a weakling get pummelled. The spectators get excited when it's a strong head-to-head!"

"Then why did you sign up?" Rei asked calmly.

"What?!" the gladiator thundered. He raised his fist and sent it swinging towards the both of them, which they easily dodged without effort.

He swung again and again but he was no match for Rei and Luffy's Observational Haki. They calmly leapt and dodged from one side to another. Until suddenly, Luffy grabbed the wrist of the large man and swung him around in many circles until finally slamming him down to the ground.

"Lucy," Rei said softly, "We shouldn't attract too much attention."

"Shi-shi-sh-shi," Luffy grinned as he looked around the room, "Nice to meet ya!"

"Did you start the fight?" someone suddenly asked behind them, "You're disqualified!"

"WHAT?!" Luffy shouted.

He whirled around to see a male gladiator with a clipboard glaring at him.

"That man started it," Rei said calmly coming in between Luffy and the man, "If you're going to throw someone out, it should be the big guy."

"Yeah!" someone else suddenly shouted from the side. Rei and Luffy turned to see three men under the shadows of a pillar, "The gladiator started it."

"It's Sai and Boo from the Kano Kingdom!" someone shouted recognizing the men, "Even Don Chinjao!"

"Okay. If you all saw it and can verify that it wasn't Lucy who started the fight," the man with the clipboard said, "Spartan, you are disqualified. Lucy, you can stay."

"Hey, Lucy," Rei said as they walked to the side and away from the commotion, "I see a lot of big names in this tournament. All these people are here for your brother's fruit."

"That doesn't change anything," Luffy said calmly as he checked out the competitors, "We already came to win."

"I see the king of another fighting kingdom and his tactician," Rei continued, "The Prodence Kingdom."

"Are they strong?" Luffy asked.

"They're decent," Rei stated, "But that means these people are not only here to fight. They have a plan. We're going to have to watch out for any allies they align themselves with."

"How does the tournament work again?" Luffy asked scratching his head.

"Each block will need to fight each other in a battle royale," Rei explained, "And the winner from each block will then fight each other for the prize. Block A goes first, then B, and then so on."

"What Block are you on again?" Luffy asked.

"A," Rei said, "So I'll be going first. Your's is C so we'll have a tournament in the middle to watch together."

Rei looked at Luffy's number in the back. "There's 557 competitors including us and only 4 people get to advance to the next round. We will need to fight smart."

"Oy, Rei," Luffy said, his tone suddenly serious.

"Yes?" Rei asked.

"If you feel like you can't win, don't push yourself," Luffy said, "I'm going to win this tournament."

Rei smiled, "I know but I can't let you have all the fun can I?"

They shared a grin as they made their way towards the armory in the back of the room.

"I can choose any weapon I want?" Rei asked.

"Anything but projectile weapons," a female gladiator answered her, "And you better hurry. Block A is about to start."

"Can I bring these?" Rei asked pulling out her dagger chains from her utility belt.

The female gladiator nodded, "Just no arrows or guns."

Rei breathed a sigh of relief. She nodded to the female gladiator and they started to make their way to the battlefield.

"I'll see you later, Lucy!" Rei called back to her captain.

Luffy waved excitedly to his crew member. "I'll come watch you as soon as I get some cool gear!"

Rei was lead out to the battlefield in the middle of the Colosseum just as the announcer was instructing them on the rules of the game. Between the audience and the arena was a moat and Rei could see large fins speeding through the surface of the water.

"Let me explain about today's competition!" the announcer said, "For the first round, competitors are divided into four blocks for a battle royal! The last one standing without being killed or eliminated will be the winner. A competitor will be eliminated if he gets thrown out of the ring or gets killed in the ring. Outside the ring, a school of Fighting Fish are waiting to attack whoever falls into the water."

Rei looked at the fish and saw that they each had thick horns at the top of their heads like rams.  _Don't go near the water,_  she thought, _Noted._

"Okay! A battle royal of Block A with 138 competitors begins now!" the announcer shouted to the roaring cheers of the audience, "Let the battle begin!"

Rei suddenly found herself being surrounded by a group of men. All of them sizing her up while pointing their weapons in her face.  _They're trying to pick off the weakest one_ , she thought as a smirk matching theirs grew on her own face,  _Idiots._

They all lunged at her at once and she jumped high into the air at the last second, somersaulting over their heads and landing on the outside of the circle. She dashed around them using her daggers to slice their backs in one sweeping motion.

She stopped and the men collapsed one by one. She placed a foot under one of the men's body and kicked him hard towards the water, sending him out of the ring and disqualified.

"Pick on somebody else!" she shouted, as she grabbed one by his wrist and swung him hard into the audience.

Suddenly, a loud crashing sound behind her and gasps from the audience made her turn around. A large man wearing a paper bag over his head was picking off attackers one by one as if they were ants.

"Mr. Store!" the announcer yelled into the microphone as the man raised his fist into the air.

Rei sensed a big force was coming her way and activated her Armament Haki just in time as his fist landed onto the ground. The shockwave sent everyone else flying into the air. Because of Rei's preparation, she didn't fly as far as everyone else did and was able to land flawlessly back on her feet. The others landed either unconscious onto the arena floor or outside of the ring into the school of Fighting Fish.

A heavy amount of dust kicked up from the shockwave but Rei was unaffected as her goggles were still firmly placed on her head. She kept her eyes focused on her only opponent.

"The competitors have been wiped out so fast! It's a new record!" the announcer said, "Two people left in the arena! Raymond and Mr. Store!"

Rei looked at her opponent in the paper bag. "Usually I'm the one in the mask," she quipped.

"Does it bother you?" the man sneered, "Because I can take it off."

His hand reached towards the bag and yanked at it. With a loud ripping sound, he revealed his identity. To everyone's horror, the man in the paper bag was the captain of the first ship of Emperor Blackbeard's group, Jesus Burgess.

"Wiihahahaha!" Burgess laughed at the fearful reactions of everyone but Rei.

 _Warm up is over,_  Rei thought to herself as she took a deep breath,  _and the battle has begun._

"WHAT IS JESUS BURGESS DOING HERE?!" the announcer screamed into his mic, "AND UP AGAINST AN UNKNOWN BOY FROM THE STREET?!"

Suddenly, some of the audiences' fears turned into cheers. "Go Burgess! Go Burgess!" they screamed.

 _Wow_ , Rei thought to herself with a grimace,  _They really do love a fight._

"GO RAYMOND!" Franky's voice suddenly shot through the air.

Rei whirled around and scanned the audience before she saw the blue hair, braided in pigtails. His sunglasses gleamed in the sunlight as he gave Rei a thumbs up with the toy soldier next to him, "Super kick his ass!"

"OY RAYMOND!" Luffy's voice called out from within the Colosseum, "You can do it!"

"Raymond! Raymond!" half of the audience started to shout.

"Burgess! Burgess!" the other half called back.

But Rei wasn't listening to them. She had already drowned out their voices as soon as her captain and shipmate vocalized their support. It was time for her to do what she did best and that was to strategize.

Instantly, Burgess' fist came flying downwards towards her and she quickly rolled out of the way but the shock wave, created when his fist connected to the ground, sent her tumbling through the battleground. Her arms and legs scraped against the floor, causing her sleeves and pants to tear. The effects was the same as if she had utilized a long distance Linked Haki and she felt the wind knock out of her.

"REI!" Luffy screamed when she rolled towards the edge of the arena.

 _Shit_ , Rei thought as she recovered as fast as she could. Before she could fall into the water, she took out her dagger and stabbed it into the ground. She hung over the edge of the arena with her feet just inches above the water.

"SAFE!" the announcer shouted with glee.

She gasped for breath as her body ached. She gritted her teeth and mustered up all her strength to pull herself back onto the arena. She rose to one knee, using one of her arms to keep herself up as she tried to regain control.

"Wiiiihahaha!" Burgess laughed as he clenched his fist, gearing up for another attack.

He was faster than she anticipated and because of that mistake, with one shot, he had almost taken her out. Her body was in pain but it was nothing compared to the frustration that raged in her head.

 _Damn it_ , she thought,  _Concentrate, Rei!_

She started to feel the energy surge inside her, the same force she felt from her dreams and from Monet. She was startled and tried to fight it. She shut her eyes and tried to block it out.

_Let it happen._

Zoro's words sounded through her head and her eyes flew open. She noticed that Burgess was seconds away from launching another attack. I can't fight this energy and Burgess at the same time. Rei thought in alarm. The cold and hot feeling was now burning closer and closer towards her heart. She took a deep breath and decided to go with her gut.

 _I trust him_ , she thought as she relinquished her control to the green energy, _I trust him._

The energy was now searing through her and it even helped numb some of the pain from her injuries. She could feel the bloodlust and restlessness intensify but she tried to focus as much as she could on the fight itself. She stared at Burgess like a hawk and thought of nothing else but her prey. His whole arm shook from the reverberation coming from the armour that encased from his elbow to his hand. Smoke was coming out of the holes around the elbow from his previous attack. Rei wasn't sure if he was a devil fruit user or if he was using an advanced weapon. Either way, she was prepared.

"You stupid brat," Burgess called out as he ran towards her, "You cannot defeat me! I'm the Fighting Champion!"

"I'm not a brat," Rei said coldly.

"Shockwave Elbow!" Burgess cried before flying his elbow towards Rei's face.

She waited until his elbow was inches away from hers before launching her assault.

"Linked Haki!" she yelled as she instantly disappeared from the floor and reappeared behind him.

"Twin Talons Grip!" she cried, blood dripping from her lips. She wound both her chains around his shoulder, while she tried to breathe through the side effects of Linked Haki. She tucked in her knees and planted her feet firmly on the small of his back. She stayed that way to ride his elbow attack's shockwave out as it unleashed towards the audience.

The audience screamed as pieces of the Colosseum started to break apart.

"HEY! Leave us out of this!" one of the audience members complained.

"Huh?" Burgess shouted in confusion as he tried to buck Rei off of his back.

"You can't defeat me," Rei asserted from behind him, holding tightly to her chains, "I'm a genius."

She was ready for him as he reached over with his unarmored hand and she jumped out of the way. She was still holding onto her chains so she used it as a pendulum to swing herself briefly away from his back. When she started to swing forward, she aimed her feet at his hand and pinned his hand hard underneath her feet, feeling the bones break beneath her.

Burgess screamed and clenched his other fist to launch another attack.

 _Good, the man is dumb_ , Rei thought as she watched his elbow shake again, penting up energy.

He unleashed his elbow by swinging it backwards, while Rei freed her chains and jumped upwards into the air. His elbow connected with his own back as he sent a shockwave through his body, breaking his ribs. The large man fell to the ground unconscious with Rei landed on his back, furthering his injuries.

She debated whether she should kill him on the spot. This new energy did make her feel more ruthless and violent than her usual self. She raised her daggers up high in the air as she aimed for his heart.  _Fight. Win. Kill. Fight. Win. Kill. Fight. Win. Kill._

"Yeah, kill him!" one of the audience member shouted.

"Tear him to pieces!" another one cried out.

Rei looked up in shock as the savage encouragement from the crowd knocked her senses back into place. She fought the thirst for blood within herself and took a deep breath.  _Be rational_ , she thought to herself as she lowered her chains.

"Twin Talons Grip!" she shouted as she wrapped the chains around Burgess' feet. There was no question that she was the victor in this round but she didn't want to take any chances.

She used the rest of her strength to swing him around in circles again and again. Her whole body seemed to be on fire as her muscles begged her for a break but she continued on. When she finally loosened the chains on his feet, she sent him flying into the audience like a weird hammer throw. She didn't even look at where he landed as her eyes blurred and her head spun.

She collapsed onto the floor only when she heard the crash of him in the stands. She had no more energy left and was still feeling the aftershocks of his first punch and her Linked Haki. She couldn't even concentrate on what the announcer was saying to the crowd.

"OOOOH! GO REI!" Luffy's call ripped through the air and she looked up. Her eyes connected with the temporary bearded rubber man and she smiled weakly.

The audience erupted into cheers.

"The battle royal winner of Block A is," the announcer shouted, "RAYMOND!"


	34. Block B Battle

Zoro skidded to a halt.  _Did I just feel my Haki?,_  he thought as he looked around him.

"Why did you stop?! We were finally going the right way!" complained the blue haired Tontatta, who was hiding in his shirt.

"Shut up!" he growled at Wicca, as he tried to concentrate and locate the Haki but found nothing.

"That Know It All is fighting," he muttered to himself, "I knew it. We're all in danger."

He glanced down at his passenger. "Oy! Take me to the sea. I need to get to my ship!"

"You promised to take me to the Flower Field first!" Wicca whined, "I need to report to my commander and then I'll take you to the sea."

"I'm in a hurry!" he snapped, "My friends are in danger."

"I'm in a hurry too!" Wicca yelled back, punching Zoro in the chest with her tiny fist.

Zoro felt as if a mountain just go hurled into his heart and he fell over. "Stop!" he gasped at the little person, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Sorry," Wicca cried, with tears welling up in her eyes, "but I really need to get to the Flower Field and with my ankle being twisted..."

"Oy, don't give me that sad look. It won't work on me," Zoro grumbled as he got back up to his feet and started to run forward and up the stairs.

"But you promised!" Wicca wailed.

Zoro glared down at the female dwarf, "I have my own promises to uphold too."

"Please take me to the Flower Field so I can report to my friends the location of the Donquixote Family members!" Wicca pleaded as she bowed her head, "I promise I'll help you get to your friends as soon as I'm done."

"Fine," he barked as he continued to run, "But you better make it fast."

"You're going the wrong way! Turn right!" Wicca squealed.

* * *

Inside the Colosseum, Luffy waited by the entrance to the arena for Rei. He cheered when she stumbled in through the stone archway and towards him. "Oooh! That was so cool! You beat him up so badly!"

Rei gave a weak smile as she clutched her stomach and fought to keep herself on her feet. She glanced at the medical attendants, who were running in and out of the entryway to retrieve the injured.

"Excuse me, may I see a medic?" she called out to them.

Two medical attendants, each holding one end of a stretcher, skidded to a halt and they gave Rei a strained look. "Aren't you the winner of Block A?" one of them asked hesitantly.

"Yes…" Rei said, unsure of why they were reacting as if she had asked for them to donate one of their kidneys, "I just need some bandages for some scrapes on my arm."

"Sorry," the medic replied, "Medical treatment is only given to the losers."

Rei narrowed her eyes as she examined the pair. "I'm not asking for medical treatment. I just need bandages."

"Sorry," the medic repeated. He gripped the stretcher tighter in his hands, "We don't have any of those on us. We're just in charge of taking the losers from the battlefield to the medical treatment waiting room."

"So I can go see the medics there?" Rei questioned, "Would they have bandages?"

"Of course they will," he replied, "But you can't see the medics. They are only for the losers."

"How many are there?" Rei asked.

The mood had suddenly shifted and the two attendants felt as if they were subject to an interrogation. The winner of Block A's demeanor had changed within seconds from general inquiry to a stern examination. They shifted uncomfortably on their feet. "What?"

"How many medics are there?" Rei demanded, "I'm sure one of them can supply me some bandages. They don't even have to look at me."

"There...are…" one of the medics started to say.

Rei could see the look on his face that the man no clue how many medics there were in the Colosseum. She kept her face composed but inside her head, alarm bells were ringing.  _What are they trying to hide? How do they not know how many medics there are? Or is it possible there aren't any? If so, what are they doing with the losers?_

"Hey!" the other medic finally spoke, "We don't have to answer you. We need to go back to our duties!"

He tugged at his end of the stretcher, pulling his partner forward. They both ran back into the arena but not before Rei noticed that each let out a huge sigh of relief. Something definitely wasn't right about this and Rei stepped forward to call out to them but she suddenly felt quite dizzy. She lost her balance and fell forward. Before she could land on her face, Luffy was instantly by her side with her arm around his shoulder as he held her up.

"Hey, Rei," Luffy asked seriously, "Are you okay? We should get you some medical treatment."

"I'm fine, Captain" Rei stated, "I just need a minute."

"But you said you needed bandages," Luffy argued.

"Just for the flesh wounds," Rei reassured, "I can recover with some rest."

She looked up and couldn't help but smile at her captain's attire. He had found a gladiator's helmet, a red cape, and shield to wear.

"Do you need a helmet, Luffy?" she asked.

"This is what gladiators wear!" he said with pride and joy.

A tall figured walked over and interrupted his show and tell. "I'm not blind," the blonde man said to Luffy, "No matter how you disguise yourself, I can't help recognizing the face of the guy who put a blot on my record."

"Bellamy the Hyena," Rei stated as she recognized him from his wanted poster.

"Why are you here?!" Luffy shouted as he recognized his old foe as well.

Rei turned to look at her captain, whose eyes faced forward at Bellamy. "You know him?" she asked.

"I kicked his ass when he gave diamond-head pops hell," Luffy said.

Rei was confused but she was too tired to ask him to explain. She'll ask the others later.

"Why are you here?!" Luffy demanded again.

"No reason," Bellamy replied, "I can be wherever I want."

"Are you working for Doflamingo?" Rei asked.

"Doflamingo has been my pirate hero since I was a kid," Bellamy replied.

"And you want Ace's fruit?!" Luffy shouted angrily.

"I've no interest in the Flare-Flare fruit," Bellamy stated, "I have my own reasons to win this thing."

He lifted up his sunglasses to stare down at the rubber man, "Hey, I went to the sky island."

"Skypeia?" Luffy asked shocked and worried, "You didn't do anything to the people there did you?!"

"Maybe, maybe not," Bellamy said with a sly grin as he started to walk away, "Anyway, I'm not holding a grudge against you anymore."

"The competitors of Block B are now entering the ring one by one!" Rei heard the announcer call out.

Her stomach turned but she gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain. "Lucy," she whispered to her captain, who was still holding her up, "We should go watch and see who our opponent will be in the finals."

"Are you sure you can make it to the final?" Luffy asked.

"I just need to rest for a bit," Rei repeated, "Besides, there are three tournaments that need to happen before I fight. I have enough time to recover."

Luffy nodded and they headed towards one of the arched windows to see down into the arena.

"Ooh! We got a great view," Luffy cheered as Rei slowly took her arm off of his shoulder.

Rei sat on the window ledge with her back rested on the curve of the window with the arena facing her side. She took off her goggles and left it hanging around her neck.

"Who should we cheer for?" she asked Luffy as she closed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy laughed.

Rei opened one of her eyes to look at Luffy, which made him laugh harder.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You look like Zoro when he naps," the rubber man chuckled.

Both of Rei's eyes flew open and she pulled her cap lower to hide her blushing face. "No, I don't," she said softly.

Another competitor came up to the window, interrupting Luffy's teasing. He had curly blonde locks and wore an ornate black captain's hat with an ostentatious feather hanging from the side. He also held a long stemmed rose.

"Can I watch with you two, Lucy?" he asked Luffy.

"Cavendish," Rei said.

The blonde suddenly set his eyes on Rei and he smoothly gave her a wink, "I'm so humbled that you recognized me. Yes, it is I, the big star!"

"I never said you were a…" Rei started to say but decided that it was pointless to argue.

"There's so many competitors," Luffy marveled. His attention was solely on the match below, "Where should I look?"

"Should I tell you who I think has a chance?" Cavendish asked.

Luffy nodded. Cavendish pulled out a stack of old wanted posters and Rei quickly pulled her cap over her eyes even more. The pages were worn and frayed around the edges. Clearly, their owner spent a lot of time looking through them.

"The king of the Prodence Kingdom. The 'Fighting King' - Elizabello II," Cavendish named first.

Rei scoffed, "He only has one move and needs to warm endlessly to prepare for it. Easily defeatable."

"His tactician," Cavendish continued, "Dagama."

Rei scoffed again, "Fat old man who only uses cheap tricks to win."

"Rei. I mean, Raymond," Luffy quickly corrected, "How do you know that?"

Rei smiled at her captain, "It's always good to keep an eye out on other fighting islands."

"Should I continue?" Cavendish asked, annoyed that they weren't paying attention to him anymore.

"Yes please," Rei said, "I'll promise to stay quiet."

Cavendish continued on but Rei stopped listening. It didn't matter who was fighting. All that mattered was who she and Luffy would need to fight in the final round. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back onto the archway. She wondered if Luffy actually could pay attention to Cavendish's list.

"Can you repeat that?" she heard Luffy ask.

Rei smiled but kept her eyes closed. She heard the sounds of weapons clashing, men screaming, water splashing, and the crowd cheering but she never opened her eyes. She knew that she needed all her strength for the next round. She'll open them when they announce a victor.

Her captain needed to protect his brother's legacy and she will be damned if she failed him. She wondered how Franky was getting along with finding some answers about the factory. Then she started to worry about Zoro, Sanji, and Kin'emon. Have they found Zoro's sword yet? They needed to get back to the plan.

And speaking of which, how was the Caesar handover plan going? The questions started to swim in her head and she opened her eyes. They rested on Luffy, who was enthralled in the battle. All worries about his crew and their purpose of being in Dressrosa were not his focus at the moment.

Rei took a deep breath and stilled her mind. Her purpose was to be here for her captain first and foremost. That was all that mattered. She tried to rest but she didn't fall asleep. It was too dangerous, especially with Zoro not being around if she had another one of her episodes.

Her eyes only opened when the ground started to shake and she had to clutch the edge of the window at the last second in order not to fall out of it.

"Rei!" Luffy gasped before catching himself, "...Mond"

"I'm okay, Lucy," Rei said as she dangled from outside the window.

She pulled herself up and steadied herself on the ledge. When she was stable, she jumped down to the floor next to Luffy. They turned to see the cause of the ground shake. Don Chinjao was making his way over to them. Rei swiftly moved to the side in order to avoid getting squashed by his large frame as he stood by the window. Luffy and Cavendish were not so lucky as they were wedged between the wall and Chinjao's large frame.

"Who are you, old pops?" Luffy muffled.

"How's Garp-san doing?" Don Chinjao asked, "Straw Hat Luffy-kun?"

Rei, Luffy, and Cavendish all froze at the mention of Luffy's name.

"How do you know my grandpa?" Luffy blurted out before Rei could stop him.

"What?!" Cavendish cried.

"Oh no," Rei muttered.

"I almost got killed by Garp-san once," Don Chinjao said, "And I've made up my mind to carry the grudge to his grandchildren."

Luffy looked up at Don Chinjao in surprise while Rei kept her attention on Cavendish. The blonde swordsman's eyes became crazed and he gritted his teeth.

Rei reached out and grabbed Luffy's collar. "We need to go, now!" she said.

Before he could say anything, she sprinted down the hall with the rubber man waving in the wind behind her. She would use Linked Haki so that they could go to another room but she was still hurting from her fight with Jesus Burgess. Still, her speed was quite fast and her cap was knocked off her head.

Cavendish saw the red blur whiz by and his eyes went wild. "'Red Ghost' Rei," he snarled.

Rei pulled Luffy to the other side of the Colosseum where they could watch the match from a window that was hidden from the window they were originally at.

They saw that the Prodence King was just about to throw his punch. Bartolomeo stood unscathed near the edge of the ring while a very badly beaten Bellamy wavered in front of him.

"Hey, Bellamy! Don't give up!" Luffy shouted.

"There he is!" Cavendish cried, locating them through Luffy's voice.

Rei sighed and grabbed the color Luffy's collar again. "Here we go again," she muttered before running to a new safe window.

"Luffy," she panted when they stopped, "you'll need to stop shouting or else you'll giveaway our location again."

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," he laughed, "Sorry. I got too caught up in the battle."

Rei smiled up at him while she wiped the sweat off her head.

"I can't believe Bellamy is getting beaten though," Luffy said as he looked outside.

"Bartolomeo has the power of the Barrier-Barrier fruit," Rei said as she sat on the floor to build up her strength, "He can repel any attack. He's created a lot of trouble not just for the marines but for pirates as well."

"Oh, I see," Luffy said and he grinned down at Rei, "You already know so much about the devil fruits. You might be able to achieve your dream before the rest of us."

"Thank you for your confidence, Captain," Rei responded, "That won't stop me from helping you achieve your dream, though."

The ground started to tremble and the Colosseum shook uncontrollably. When it was over Rei quickly got back up on her feet to see what had happened. She stared out the window with Luffy and they realized that the Prodence King had thrown his punch and every opponent was in the water, except one. Dust and particles flew up into the air, making it very difficult to see. Rei put on her goggles and tried to look through the smog.

"That's one hell of a punch," Luffy gasped as he coughed out some dust, "I've never seen anything like it."

"Look," Rei said. She pointed to the edge of the arena, "Bartolomeo is still in the battle."

As the dust began to settle, Luffy saw what Rei was referring to. Bartolomeo stood behind a barrier he created to block the Prodence King's attack. Suddenly, the barrier pushed outwards and knocked the Prodence King out of the arena.

"BORTOLOMEO IS THE WINNER!" the announcer shouted with a mix of disappointment and anger in his voice.

The crowd booed and jeered at the results but Rei had a small smile to her face.

"Rei?" Luffy asked, "What are you smiling about?"

"I just like it when the smartest person wins the battle instead of the strongest," she said.

"Yosh," Luffy said as he started to head towards a stairwell.

"Where are we going?" Rei asked as she followed behind him.

"Time to get ready for my battle," Luffy said with a grin.

They walked down the steps and found themselves in a hallway where medics were running back and forth. Luffy and Rei stopped when they saw Bellamy coming towards them on a stretcher.

"Bellamy!" Luffy gasped.

"You," Bellamy panted, "Why did you cheer me on? I haven't changed a bit."

"You've changed," Luffy said confidently.

Bellamy gritted his teeth and then he smiled, "No, you have changed. You're now using Haki that's far greater than anyone can imagine. That pisses me off. My pride has broken into pieces. Straw Hat!"

A shocked gasp behind them made Rei turn around to see if it was Cavendish who reacted to Luffy's name. Instead, she saw the stunned face of Bartolomeo.

"S-S-S-S-Straw Hat?!" he stammered in surprise.

"All competitors of Block C, please go to the entrance gate!" said the announcer.

"Lucy," Rei said, ignoring Bartolomeo as the tournament came first, "It's time for you to battle."

"Alright!" Luffy said, "Let's go!"


	35. Block C Battle

Rei went back to the window they were first sitting at and was relieved to find her cap still there. She tucked her red hair back under it and hoped no one had spotted her.

"'Red Ghost' Rei," a voice behind her said and she turned in time to block Cavendish's sword.

His blade pushed against her chains as she held up the ends in front of her. The metal on their weapons shook from the force.

"Cavendish," she gritted through her teeth, "If you fight me, you'll get thrown out of the tournament."

"I don't care," he seethed back, "I want to kill all the rookies who have stolen the spotlight from me."

"How have I stolen the spotlight?" Rei asked incredulously, "I just became a pirate."

Cavendish jumped away and re-raised his sword for another attack. "You were still in the paper."

"I heard you're trying to kill Lucy, Cavendish," interrupted a new voice, "But it seems you have more than one person on your death list."

They turned to see Bartolomeo, with his sharp teeth and his heightened green hair.

"Lucy is not yours to kill," Bartolomeo continued.

"I see, you want to kill him too," Cavendish said, jumping back away from Rei and sizing up the winner of Blcok B.

Bartolomeo laughed, "My connection with him is much deeper than that."

"Hey," Rei said, interjecting into the conversation but not taking her eyes off of Cavendish, "Tell me more about this connection."

Bartolomeo raised an eyebrow at her, "It's none of your business."

"My captain's business is my business," Rei retorted.

"You're captain?!"

"At least you're better at hiding your identity than your captain, 'Red Ghost' Rei," Cavendish said snidely.

"R-R-R-R-R-R-," Bartolomeo started to stutter.

Rei shifted her body so that she formed a triangle between her, Cavendish, and Bartolomeo. She kept her chains out in front of her just in case. "Are you going to try to kill me too, Bartolomeo?"

Cavendish sighed and withdrew his sword. "My fight with you can be settled after the battle, when I win the fruit and return to the spotlight."

Rei looked at Bartolomeo, who showed no signs of attacking. In fact, he seemed to be in some sort of daze. HIs eyes were glazed over and he was smiling with somewhat of a slackjaw.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rei spotted a pink haired female gladiator by the window. Rei had never seen her before and wondered who that person was. She didn't have the physical features of a fighter and her whole demeanor was too gentle for her current surroundings.

"REI-SAMA!" Bartolomeo squealed, finally finding his voice.

Rei was startled but she did not show it. She glared at him in annoyance. His sudden outburst was not only unnecessary but a hindrance. She hoped no one else had heard him and that her identity was still kept safe.

"Hey, Bartolomeo" she snapped, pointing at the sign on her back, "Please call me Raymond."

"Raymond-sama!" Bartolomeo cried, "You know my name! I'm so honored!"

"Huh?"

"I have followed the news stories of the Straw Hat Pirates since I first saw Straw Hat Luffy-senpai-"

"Lucy," Rei quickly interjected, "Please call him Lucy...The less people who know we're here, the better."

"Lucy-senpai," Bartolomeo corrected before babbling on, "I saw him in Loguetown years ago and have been following all the news stories involving the Straw Hats. Alabasta, Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and the fateful Marineford! It was all so fascinating!"

Rei wasn't sure how to react to this man so she stayed silent and let him say his peace.

"I was only a small leader who took control of 150 towns back home, but I've been inspired by Luf-...er...I mean Lucy-senpai's story that I sailed out to sea!" Bartolomeo blurted out with tears streaming down his face, "And when I read the most recent story on Beffi Island and how he managed to convince you, the world's leading tactician, to join his crew, it just furthered my belief that he is the future King of Pirates!"

A sweat fell down Rei's forehead. She was baffled by this man's obsession with the Straw Hats. "I'm honored?"

Bartolomeo grabbed her hands and held it tightly in his, holding it close to his chest. "I will help you in anyway that I can. Please, let me be your slave."

His hands were clammy and twitchy. Rei couldn't help but notice it was not the same strong and sturdy grip that Zoro had or the smooth and soft hands of Sanji.

"Servitude is not necessary," Rei said, jerking her hand away, "But if you want to help, that would be appreciated. Since we're both winners of our blocks, that means Lucy has gained one other ally for the final round."

Bartolomeo nodded, his eyes shining with excitement and hope, "I will be your humble servant."

"That really isn't necessary," Rei repeated, feeling uncomfortable by this man's devotion.

A sudden explosion brought Rei's attention back to the fight and she looked just in time to see Luffy jump out of a big pillar of smoke.

"What happened?" Rei asked Cavendish.

"He went against Ideo," the blonde grumbled.

Rei sensed from his unhappy tone that Luffy was winning. Both her and Bartolomeo went to the edges of the window to look below them. Her eyes widened as her Observational Haki sensed a very powerful attack coming Luffy's way.

"Lucy!" she shouted right before Don Chinjao unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.

"There is only one man I want to fight so get out of my way!" Don Chinjao cried as all the other competitors fell unconscious, while Luffy was unaffected.

Rei's jaw clenched when she noticed that on the other side of the ring, Jean the Bandit, a notorious bounty hunter, was scurrying around the arena collecting the weapons from the unconscious victims of Don Chinjao's Haki. She had never met him in person but she had read plenty of Naval reports on the many escaped pirates from Impel Down he had caught.

"LUCY!" she called out to her captain and pointed at Jean, "KICK THAT BOUNTY HUNTER'S ASS!"

Luffy laughed in response, "Shi-shi-shi-shi. Zoro's not gonna like hearing you say that."

"Zoro-senpai," Bartolomeo squealed at the mention of his name.

"Lucy! Duck!" Rei suddenly cried out in warning.

Ideo struck a punch at Luffy and the Straw Man bent over just in time to avoid it but Ideo's fist connected with the edge of his helmet. He sent it flying off of Luffy's head andinto the air. Jean the Bandit caught it with one hand.

"Hey! Give it back!" Luffy yelled, hurriedly tying his cape around his straw hat to hide it.

"I heard something interesting," Jean exclaimed, "I heard a pirate who's worth 400 million bellis named Straw Hat Luffy has entered the competition. Tetetetetetete."

"Straw Hat Luffy!" Don Chinjao shouted as he charged towards the rubber man but Luffy's eyes were focused on his helmet.

"Give it back, you damn cactus!" he yelled at Jean.

Jean started to fling all the weapons he's collected towards Luffy, who dodged them but lost sight of the bounty hunter.

"Lucy!" Rei called out, "He's collecting more weapons! Be careful!"

A shadow grew over the arena and Luffy noticed what Rei was warning him about. Jean the Bandit was carrying a mountain of weapons he collected around the battlefield and it reached high into the sky. He grinned savagely as he reached for one weapon after another and threw them left and right at the straw hat, hitting the other contenders behind him as well.

"I made so much money in the last two years thanks to you," Jean sneered as his ball of death got smaller and smaller with every weapon he launched at Luffy, "From all the prisoners you freed in Impel Down."

"Idiot," Rei muttered, "Just throwing weapons won't work."

Suddenly, there was a stillness on the battlefield when Luffy stepped aside to reveal that some of the swords Jean threw had plunged into Don Chinjao's belly.

Luffy quickly took his helmet back while Jean was in shock. He was frozen in fear at the menacing figure of Don Chinjao. Luffy leapt to the side and away from Jean to avoid Don Chinjao, who propelled himself forward towards the bounty hunter. Chinjao's head planted firmly into the bandit and sent him flying into the wall and out of the ring.

"Lucy!" Rei called down, "We're running out of time! Hurry up and finish this!"

"Yosh!" Luffy replied back waving his hand back at Rei as he put his helmet back on.

The rubber man squatted down and activated his second gear. His only opponent now was Don Chinjao. The two men launched at each other with incredible force. Both raised an arm charged with Armament Haki and the two fists connected. The shockwave of haki went through the Colosseum knocking out the rest of their opponents and even a few audience members.

Rei's face was stoic as she watched the clash of two Conqueror's Haki users and she smiled while everyone else's jaw dropped. "That's my captain," she said softly but proudly.

She turned around and walked away from the battle.

"You're not going to watch the rest?" Bartolomeo asked in surprise.

"Lucy's going to win. There's no question about it," Rei said calmly without looking back as she waved her hand out to signal a short goodbye, "However, there are other things I need answers to around here and I'm going to find them."

"So..so...SO COOL!" Bartolomeo stammered in awe.

Rei stopped in her tracks and took one last look back at Bartolomeo. She eyed him up and down, assessing just how much she could trust him. He seemed genuine in wanting to help Luffy. She had never met anyone with as much fanboy-like devotion as Bartolomeo.

"Hey, Bartolomeo," she said to him.

"Y-y-yes, Rei-sama?"

Her back was still turned to him but she had craned her neck backwards so she can lock eyes with him.

"You will help Lucy in the finals." It was a statement and not a question.

"Yes," Bartolomeo asserted.

"Okay," she said, turning her face forward and continuing her walk, "I'm counting on you."

She heard an explosion of tears and joyous cries from Bartolomeo, which made her somewhat relieved that she was walking away. Crying was just not something she could handle.

Rei made her way down the winding staircases and corridors until she spotted a pair of Colosseum workers carrying an injured man on the stretcher. She followed them down towards the basement of the Colosseum to the medical treatment waiting area. A mix of injured men from Block A and Block B were sitting along the room. She noticed that Burgess was nowhere in sight.

In the middle of the backwall was a large metal door with the medical sign imprinted on it. Are the medics in there? she wondered.

A smaller door within the metal door opened and one of the workers came out. He held a clipboard and he flipped a page over to find the next name on his list. "Ian from the Aliwan Kingdom."

A man not too far from Rei stood up. He wore a really large iron helmet on his head and it covered the majority of his face. "That's me," he said gruffly.

"Please make your way in," the worker called out to him.

"Wait," Ian said as walked forward, "Another person from my kingdom, Sammy, he hasn't come out yet. Where is he?"

"There's an exit at the other end of the room," the worker said, "Those who are treated do not come back into this one."

Rei had enough experience questioning people to spot a lie and she knew she had just heard one. She narrowed her eyes and followed behind Ian. His large frame blocked her out and the worker did not notice her until Ian went into the room and she stood right in front of him.

"Excuse me," she said to the worker, "I'm Raymond, the winner of Block A. I need to see a medic."

"I'm sorry, I can't let you go in there. Losers only," the worker said, holding up his clipboard as if that would ward her off.

Rei swatted his clipboard away like it was nothing and she stood toe to toe with him with her arms clasped behind her back. "I don't need to go in. I just need him to come out."

"I...I...I can't do that," the worker stammered.

She leaned over and whispered into his ear, "I want answers."

The worker jerked back his head but then he realized that Rei had a dagger pointed at his stomach. She faked a smile and turned to stand by his side. She slid her dagger wielding hand underneath his cape and pointed it at his back. To the others, it just seemed that she had a friendly arm around his waist.

"Oh, you know where the medical supply closet is?" she said loud enough for the other's in the room to hear, "Why don't you show me where it is? I just need bandages anyways."

She put a little pressure on her blade so that it pricked the skin on his back, but not enough to draw blood. The worker gave a small yelp and started to move forward and out of the room. If they looked suspicious, the fighters were too preoccupied with their own injuries to notice.

Rei kept a careful eye out, though, in case another worker stepped through the door to call out for a new patient. As soon as they were out of the waiting area and the door closed behind them, she dragged the man into a dark corner, out of sight. She shoved the worker against the wall and pointed her blade under his chin.

"What goes on in the medical room?" she demanded, "Where do all the losers go?"

"I can't tell you," the worker gasped, "The Donquixote family will kill me if I-"

"I'll kill you if you don't tell me," Rei hissed. She moved her blade closer to his neck to show just how serious she was.

"You won't get away with this," he cried, "The executives will-"

Rei made a small skin deep cut on his neck to silence him and get his attention. "Worry about yourself before you worry about me. If you tell me everything you know, I'll let you go back. You can even go tell Doflamingo himself and have him come for me."

"What?" the man gasped.

"I came here to see him anyways," Rei stated, "It would actually speed up the process if you manage to get him here."

The man gulped and he started to tremble.

"Let's try this again. What are you doing with the losers?" Rei said, pulling her blade back a little to give the man a bit of breathing room.

"I don't know what they do with them," the man answered shakily, "All we're told is to bring the losers into the room one by one. They lie on the medical bed, close their eyes, and…"

"And?"

"And we pull a lever to open up the trap door underneath them."

"Where do they go?"

"Underground. Beneath the Colosseum but that's all I know, I swear! I don't know what happens to them afterwards! That's all Diamante told us."

"Diamante?" Rei asked, "Is he one of the executives?"

"Yes. He's the leader of the Diamante army. He's one of the top officers for Donquixote and he's the Hero of the Colosseum."

"So he's in charge here," Rei said, mostly to herself, "What is his fighting style? Is he a devil fruit user?"

The man nodded. "He ate the Ripple-Ripple fruit. He's a-"

"Flag human," Rei finished, "What about the other officers under Doflamingo? Do you know about Trebol and Sugar?"

"I don't know them," the man admitted, "I work in the Colosseum so I only know about the officers in the Diamante Army."

"Who are they?" Rei demanded.

"Lao G, Senor Pink, Machvise, and Dellinger are the top officers under Diamante. You'll be fighting them in the final tournament for the Flare-Flare fruit. They win 100% of their fights. You don't stand a chance."

"I never expected to win this tournament," Rei said, catching the man off guard, "So maybe I'll see you back here when all of this is over."

They overheard footsteps coming towards them and Rei quickly flattened herself against the wall as more medical attendants rushed past them.

"Hurry! Block C battle has ended," one of them said.

 _Luffy!_  Rei thought to herself. She released her hold on her captive but knocked him unconscious by using the hilt of her dagger. She waited for the coast to be clear before coming out of their hiding spot and running in the opposite direction.


	36. Rei Meets Rebecca

Meanwhile, beneath the sunflower field in Dressrosa, Zoro was about to blow a gasket in the middle of the "King Riku Army" Headquarters. He had fulfilled his end of the bargain and brought Wicca to the Flower Field. However, a slight distraction caused him to not immediately head to the Thousand Sunny.

 _What is she doing in a tournament?!,_  he seethed as he watched the replay of Rei's fight with Jesus Burgess on the projection from the transponder snail,  _I thought she didn't want to even watch the tournament! She told me not to worry about her and then she pulls this stunt?! She's really testing my limits._

Even with a baseball cap and goggles, Zoro could tell it was her. With that stupid utility belt and the way she moved, he knew it was her without a doubt.

He was also fully aware that he was scaring the Tontatta's gathered around him with his huffing and puffing but he did not care. He watched as they recapped the shockwave that sent her flying through the arena and spitting blood. Even though he already knew the outcome and that she had won, it was still very hard for him to watch. He clenched his jaw as he watched her land shakily.

 _My Haki_ , he thought to himself,  _She used it again. I knew I felt something earlier._

He felt as if someone had reached into the pits of his stomach and grabbed a hold of it. Even as he watched Rei expertly climb around Burgess like he was her personal playground and manipulate him into elbowing himself, Zoro's worry did not subside. By strength alone, Burgess had the upperhand but she had managed to turn his advantage to work in her favor.

When they showed the clip announcing her win and how she had just stayed in the middle of the arena, Zoro's stomach twisted. They showed a close-up of her as she knelt on the floor with only one trembling arm holding her up.

"Zoro!" a voice called from behind him and he turned around to see Franky. He was waving to the swordsman with a smile and a toy soldier on his shoulder.

Zoro immediately grabbed the lapels on Franky's suit jacket and yanked him closer so that they were nose to nose.

"Oy! Franky!" Zoro snarled, "What the hell is Rei doing in a tournament?!"

"She's fighting with Luffy to get Ace's Flare-Flare fruit." Franky said calmly, "She won! She's fine!"

"No, she's not!" Zoro growled, "Did you not see the fight with Burgess?!"

"I was there! She walked off the arena!" Franky replied unfazed, "You need to super calm down."

"Damn that idiot," Zoro snapped as he released Franky and turned his attention back to the screen, which was now showing Luffy and Don Chinjao's current fight. "If there is an event like this, why didn't you guys tell me?! I wanna fight with my swords."

"What are you doing here in the first place?" Franky asked, confused as to what exactly Zoro was angry about.

Before the swordsman could answer, one of the tiny people shouted, "Some legendary heroes have appeared in Tontatta! Their names are Usoland and Robiland and they are on their way here! They also have some friends with them. Their names are Luffyland, Zoroland, Namiland, Sanland, Chopperland, Fraland, Boneland, and Reiland."

Must be Usopp, Franky and Zoro thought with a bead of sweat dripping down their forehead.

"Um, I think I'm Zoroland," Zoro said.

"I'm Fraland. Nice to meet you!" Franky said proudly.

The tiny people cheered.

"Ah! I don't have time for this!" Zoro shouted frustratingly, "The Sunny is in danger and Luffy and Rei are stuck in that stupid tournament!"

"The Sunny?" Franky asked, lifting up his sunglasses.

* * *

Back at the stadium, Rei was leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs where the competitors would walk down once their match was over. She was the only person not watching the match. Having taken it easy over the last two battles, she felt almost back to her usual self. She waited as different injured competitors were brought down the steps and they walked past her one stretcher at a time. Finally, Luffy appeared at the top of the stairs and they exchanged smiles.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," he said with a grin.

"I wasn't waiting long. I actually got some more info on the Donquixote family," she stated.

"Ooooh," Luffy said, impressed, "I'm so tired. I need food. Let's go find something to eat and you can tell me all about it."

"STRAW HAT!" Cavendish's voice rang out through the walls.

"Oh no," Rei muttered before they saw the pretentious blonde come running towards them.

"Cabbage!" Luffy said, bracing himself to jump out of the way.

"Don't try to get away!" Cavendish yelled as he wielded his sword.

Rei rubbed her temples to soothe herself while she watched this unnecessary display of violence.

"I'm tired!" Luffy complained while trying to rip the sword out of Cavendish's hands, "Why should I fight you?"

"Hey! Straw Hat!" a raspy voice growled.

Rei turned to see Don Chinjao with a shockingly pointed head walking in from the arena. Rei lost her cool.

"Will everyone just leave him alone?!" she shouted angrily as she grabbed her captain's arm and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. This time, she remembered to put her free hand on her cap so that it wouldn't fly off. They passed by a very excited Bartolomeo but Rei paid him no attention.

"Straw Hat!" Cavendish and Don Chinjao shouted behind as Rei left them in the dust.

They were able to shake Cavendish and Don Chinjao off their tails when Rei skidded to a halt. The female gladiator with pink hair was standing in the middle of the hallway with her hand held out to them.

"You can follow me," she said, "I know a safe place, Lucy."

Rei looked at Luffy, "Do you know her?"

"Yeah," Luffy said, "It's...uh…"

"Rebecca," the gladiator answered, but she took no offense.

"We met when you were fighting," Luffy said happily, "She showed me this cool statue of a legendary gladiator."

"I see," Rei said as she examined the female gladiator in front of them, "And you're fighting in Block D?"

"Yes," Rebecca said, "We need to hurry before my match starts."

Rei nodded. If her captain was okay with Rebecca, then Rei would give her the benefit of the doubt. They started to follow Rebecca when they spotted a wounded Burgess holding a transponder snail.

He was lying down on a bench due to his broken back but he was able to turn his head to spot Rei and Luffy. He grinned at the sight of them. "Hold on, Captain," he said to the snail, "Straw Hat is here."

He carefully moved the snail in his hand so that Luffy could talk to the man at the other end of the line.

"Are you there, Straw Hat?" Blackbeard's voice asked through the snail.

"You're Blackbeard?" Luffy growled, snatching the snail from Burgess' hand.

"Yes, it's me! It's been awhile!" Blackbeard laughed, "I heard you're fighting in the competition as Lucy!"

"And one of my crewmembers already beat your man," Luffy snarled.

"I didn't know he was one of yours," Burgess said menacingly, "If I did, I would've taken the fight more seriously."

"Your injuries are serious enough," Rei shot back.

"A pity I couldn't get the fruit," Blackbeard said snidely through the snail, "I wanted it to be like old times again with Ace back in the group."

Luffy gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He was too angry to speak. How dare Blackbeard even speak his brother's name? Rei stepped forward and took the receiver from her captain.

Catcha.

"We have nothing to say to your captain," she said coolly to Burgess once she hung up the receiver, "He will never get near Ace's devil fruit again and neither will you."

Burgess glared at her and tried to move but cried out in pain from his wounds.

"Let's go, Captain," Rebecca said softly and Luffy nodded in agreement.

"Next time," Burgess growled to Rei's back, "I will kill you."

"No," Rei said as she continued to walk, " _I'll_  be the one doing the killing."

Rebecca shivered at the volatile tension building between Burgess and Rei.  _Is this what it's like when two strong competitors decide to fight to the death?,_  she thought,  _Even the aura around them is powerful and scary._

"Rebecca," Lucy said as he and Rei stopped underneath an arch to wait for the female gladiator.

The pink haired gladiator ran after the two and forced herself to forget about Burgess. She had another purpose and she shouldn't forget why she had entered the tournament.

Rebecca led them to a new area in the Colosseum that Rei and Luffy had never seen before. There was a food cart, which Luffy was instantly excited to see.

"Hey lady!" he said running up to the vendor, "Are there any samples?'

"Are you going to just eat samples and not buy anything?!" the vendor accused.

"Rei..er, I mean Raymond," Luffy said as he stuffed three samples into his mouth, "Can you buy me lunch?"

"I gave most of my money to Zoro and Sanji," Rei said sadly, "And I only have some change left and it's not enough."

"I'm sorry, ma'am!" Rebecca said handing out a pile of bellis, "How much do you want, Lucy and Raymond?"

"WHAT?! SO NICE!" Luffy called out while Rei gave her an apologetic smile.

 _When we get out, I'll pay her back_ , Rei thought to herself.

They sat on the floor as Luffy and Rei ate their lunch. Rebecca had led the way. They were in a floor filled with holding cells. It was towards the top floors of the Colosseum and Rei could see the edges of the island through the barred windows that lined the walls.

"Where are we?" Rei asked in between bites.

"It's the quarters for the gladiators of the Colosseum," Rebecca said, "Some people consider it a prison but you guys can stay here until it's time for the final match."

"Thank you!" Luffy said as he gobbled up his food.

"I was surprised at your strength, Lucy," she said, "and your agility, Raymond."

Rei gave a small smile back but Luffy was too busy eating to respond to Rebecca's compliment.

"Aren't you hungry?" Luffy asked Rebecca.

Rei noticed that the gladiator's face turned solemn and even slightly pained at Luffy's question.

"I don't get hungry," Rebecca said softly.

Suddenly two pairs of hands reached out behind Luffy and Rei and held them against the bars behind them.

"I got you!" one of their captors shouted, "Do it, Rebecca!"

Rei's eyes turned cold as she looked at Rebecca, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Hey, my lunch is spilling out!" Luffy complained as he struggled.

Rebecca reached for her sword and she took a deep determined breath before swinging the sword at Rei and Luffy.

Luffy bit the arm of his attacker, which released him from his grip. At the same time, Rei took the hand of her attacker and broke one of his fingers to loosen his hold. Both Luffy and Rei rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Rebecca's sword.

Luffy jumped up and used his two feet to land on Rebecca's arms, pinning her down while he finished his lunch.

Rei picked up Rebecca's sword and held it in her hands. She looked at her captain for his cue but she already knew how Luffy was going to handle this.

"Do whatever you want," Rebecca said as she readied herself for death, "I'll pay the price."

"I'm not going to do anything to somebody who bought me food," Luffy said.

"I tried to kill you!" Rebecca cried out.

"That's fine. I'm not dead," Luffy said wiping some food off of his fake beard.

Much to Rebecca's surprise, Rei placed her sword back in her hands. Her green eyes pierced through Rebecca's widened brown eyes. "You weren't going to kill us," Rei stated before sitting back against the bars and eating her lunch casually.

"Being forgiven that easily makes it more obvious that it was really unevenly matched, Rebecca," a man behind the bars said hopelessly.

Rei looked closely behind the bars and saw some seriously bandaged men.

"Mummies!" Luffy screamed.

"We're convict gladiators!" one of the men shouted back, "So is Rebecca."

"I don't understand," the rubber man said as he looked at Rebecca in confusion.

"Convicts?" Rei repeated.

"Yes, we're prisoners. The king says we will be released if we can win a thousand times," another man said, "Before then, we're held captive here within the Colosseum."

"What?! One thousand times?!" Luffy cried.

"I told you this tournament was inhumane and barbaric," Rei said softly to Luffy.

"Before Doflamingo became king ten years ago, the matches were not to the death," the man said.

"I'm going to win today's competition. No matter what it takes," Rebecca said as she stayed on the floor, "And I'll kill Doflamingo with the Flare-Flare fruit!"

"To set everyone free?" Rei asked.

"Not just that," Rebecca answered, "Today an army led by Soldier-san will come to let us out by provoking a battle with Doflamingo. If I can get to the Flare-Flare fruit first, Soldier-san won't have to fight."

"Soldier-san?" Rei asked, looking over at Luffy, "The one legged toy soldier we saw earlier today?"

Luffy shrugged back.

Rebecca covered her face with her hands as tears started to fall down, "Soldier-san is going to die."

"You're worried about a toy?" Luffy asked.

"You're not from here so you don't understand," Rebecca said as she sat up and hugged her knees, "They're the same as humans. They are friends for the friendless. They are siblings for those who have none. They are lovers for the loveless."

Rebecca took a deep breath. "Since the day I lost my mother, my only family, Soldier-san raised me. He's like a father to me."

 _He probably_ is _your father,_  Rei thought to herself. She clenched her fist but remained expressionless in front of Rebecca. There was no point in telling Rebecca her theory. It would only aggravate the girl and she was about to start her battle.

Rei glanced over at Luffy, who had a very solemn expression on his face. Rebecca won't be getting the fruit from them, that's for sure, but they were still planning on taking down Doflamingo, which would help her in the end. Listening to Rebecca's cries revealed a pain that Rei recognized instantly. It was the sound of agony that could only have come from loss and extended loneliness. There was a darkness to Dressrosa that was beyond what the Straw Hats had expected.

The announcement of the start of the last match, Block D, interrupted any further conversation with Rebecca as it was now her turn on the battlefield. Rei helped her back up on her feet.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked stiffly as Rebecca dried her eyes.

Rebecca nodded her head as she composed herself.

"See you two at the finals," she said as bravely as she could as she slowly made her way out of the room.

"Yeah!" Luffy shouted after her, "Good luck!"

Rei looked over at the monitors where the prisoners could watch the battle. "She must be a crowd favorite," Rei guessed, "She's so pretty and she's a gladiator."

"Not exactly," one the prisoners responded hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"Just watch and wait," the prisoner said mournfully.

They all sat in silence as they watched the competitors come out one by one. Suddenly, she heard the boos from the crowd as Rebecca stepped into the arena.

"Here comes the 'Phantom Princess'!" the announcer shouted.

"Princess?" Rei asked.

"Screw you, Rebecca!" the crowd yelled.

"Cut her to pieces!" another group shouted.

Rei was horrified.

"King Riku's line - burn in hell!" a man shouted.

"King Riku?" Rei asked.

"She's the former king's granddaughter," a convict gladiator explained.

"Even if she is, what does that have to do with her?" Luffy asked indignantly.

"Yeah, you're right," the convict agreed, "Even if her grandfather is a king that the whole country despises, Rebecca is our hope!"

"Your hope?" Rei asked.

The group of convicts nodded. "Rebecca and all of us have been fighting desperately to claw our way out of this hell," one of them said, "We were not strong enough so we ended up like this. If she wins and gets the Flare-Flare fruit, things might get better for us here."

Rei and the others watched as the crowds insults got ruder and more violent. Rei felt herself slowly losing her temper. The tournament was more barbaric and viler than she could have ever imagined.

"ENOUGH!" a familiar voice cried as he rode into the arena on a white horse.

The ostentatious Cavendish arrived dramatically, silencing the crowd, as he yelled at them from a bullhorn attached to his steed. "What an ill-behaved crowd! I can't stand it! Shame on you!"

The crowd instantly changed their attitude to shouts of joy at the entrance of the beautiful man. To Rei's disgust, some women even fainted at the sight of him.

"Teach Rebecca a lesson! Kick that tramp's ass!" they shouted to him.

"Shut up, you bastards!" he yelled, silencing them once again, "I don't know why you hate her so much, but she's a young girl who stands in the ring with her life on the line. You guys are not risking your lives so you have no right to jeer at her!"

"Oh! Cabbage spoke up and said the right thing!" Luffy said clenching his fist in joy.

"Who knew he had that side to him?" Rei asked to no one in particular.

"I'm impressed," Luffy admitted, "But I still don't like him."

"Me neither," Rei agreed.

The crowd erupted into a resounding cheer for Cavendish and his valiant speech. "Cavendish! How charismatic!" they shouted.

The blonde swordsman lost his cool composure and started to vamp for the crowd. He posed with his hat and then stood with his cape swung over his arm. He basked in the attention and superficial love that the audience was giving him.

"Yes," Rei said wrinkling her nose at his vanity, "I really don't like him."

Rei knew, when she stepped foot into the Colosseum, just how brutal and violent the tournaments were in Dressrosa but it wasn't until she saw Rebecca's tears and the convict gladiators did she fully realize the extent of it's cruelty.

"Go, Rebecca, Go!" Luffy screamed at the projection as they watched.

Rei wanted to shout out too but she knew it was futile as Rebecca couldn't hear her. One by one, the competitors fell into the water as Rebecca dodged their attacks and lured them close enough to the edge. It was brilliant in that she could eliminate her attackers without actually attacking herself.

"Luffy," Rei said softly, "I want to help her."

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy grinned, "She's a nice girl, isn't she? You're grateful to her for buying you lunch too, right?"

Rei let out a laugh and nodded to her captain.  _Sure_ , she thought,  _Why can't that be a reason?_


	37. Zoro's #1 Fan

"Zoroland!" the Tontatta named Wicca called out from under Zoro's shirt, "we're going to turn left soon. That's the other side of where your katana's are."

"You don't think I can tell left from right?!' Zoro shouted indignantly.

He was racing to get to the Sunny to help Nami and the others. The Tontatta's had received intel that the Straw Hats' ship was under attack by one of Doflamingo's Executives. He was fairly annoyed because protecting the Sunny was a job the love cook was assigned to do but he was nowhere to be found.  _Typical,_  Zoro thought to himself,  _It always comes down to me to do the heavy lifting around here._

All Zoro wanted to do was get to the Colosseum to either get Rei safely out of there or wring her neck. He still hadn't decided on which yet. Luffy doesn't need anyone's help in the tournament so why was she even there in the first place?!

"Ah! I said left!" Wicca shouted, interrupting him from his thoughts.

Zoro skidded to a halt and quickly changed directions without acknowledging his mistake to his tiny passenger.

"Zoro-dono! Zoro-dono!" a familiar voice called from up ahead.

Zoro saw that Curly Brow and the samurai were up ahead and for the first time, he felt slightly happy to see the blonde. But only slightly.

"Who are they?" Wicca asked.

"Topknot-land and Spiral-Eyebrows-Land," Zoro quipped as they met them in a vacant alleyway.

"What?!" Sanji shouted when he heard where Zoro and Wicca were heading to, "You're going to go save Nami-swan?! So she was in trouble. No wonder she didn't pick up the snail. Okay, let's go!"

"Wait, Sanji-dono," Kin'emon interjected, "We need to tell Luffy what's going on."

Zoro was about to agree with the samurai when they heard a female voice call out.

It was a woman dancer that Zoro had seen Sanji salivate over earlier in the day. She had curly dark hair and piercing large eyes. "Black Foot!" she said.

"Oh, so that's where you've been?" Zoro scoffed to the cook, "You've been on a date?"

The love cook wasn't listening to the swordsman though. "My sweet Violet-chan!" he cried as he flung himself towards her in a whirlwind of love.

"I wish that damn passion would kill you already," Zoro muttered under his breath.

"My colleague, Giolla, has attacked your ship!" Violet told Sanji as he held her hands.

"So I'm guessing now that you've got this woman, you no longer care about saving Nami?" Zoro interjected, hoping to bait Sanji.

"Hey! You already got a girl, Shitty Marimo," Sanji yelled, falling into Zoro's trap, "I started to worry about Nami-san before you did! And I know she wants me to come save her instead of you! So I'm going to be her knight in shining armor."

"Yah. Yah. Just go already," Zoro said impatiently.

"Okay! Kin'emon," Sanji said, handing the samurai a piece of paper, "Here's a map to the Toy House, where your friend is."

Then he handed his transponder snail to the samurai as well, "When you get to Luffy, contact the Sunny with this. Let's check to see what everyone is doing and I'll stay on the Sunny."

"Yes, Sanji-dono," Kin'emon said.

Zoro snorted mostly out of impatience. Now that the blonde took back his duty of protecting the Sunny, the swordsman was now free to go to the Colosseum. "Alright, alright," he huffed, "Just go already."

They went their separate ways with Sanji heading towards Nami and the two swordsman racing to the Colosseum. With the help of Wicca and a watchful eye on Zoro from Kin'emon, they found themselves standing outside of the tournament with no available entrance.

"Okay, we're here," Zoro muttered, "Now how do we get in?"

All the openings to the Colosseum were barred temporarily until after the match and there was no one around to ask about a side entrance or something.

"We should not make a bold move," Kin'emon advised, "I tried that earlier and almost got caught."

"Then I should just chop off a wall," Zoro surmised as he reached for his sword.

"That's what I call a bold move!" Kin'emon ranted exasperatedly.

"I'll slice it gently," Zoro stated.

"That's not the point!" Kin'emon snapped back.

A man's cry interrupted any further discussion of cutting the building. Zoro and Kin'emon looked up at the second story window to see Bartolomeo in tears.

"Zoro-senpai!" he cried.

"Do you know that man?" Kin'emon asked.

"Who the hell is he?" Zoro responded with a suspicious look.

"Maybe he can help us locate Luffy-dono and the Dragon Rider," Kin'emon guessed.

"Good idea," Zoro said.

He cupped his hand over his mouth and shouted at the crying man. "Hey you! I want to ask you something!"

The man turned his back on them and cried even harder.

What is this guy's deal?!, Zoro thought to himself but he continued shouting. "Hey you! You on the second floor! I'm talking to you! Say something!"

Bartolomeo, moved to tears by the mere presence of the famous swordsman, was unable to speak. It was the happiest moment of his life and he hid himself on the side of the window. Every now and then he would peak out to steal another glance down at Kin'emon and Zoro.

"He's acting strange," Kin'emon mumbled to Zoro.

"Hey! I don't know who you are but can you tell us how to get into the Colosseum?" Zoro called out.

"I'm so glad I sailed out to sea!" came Bartolomeo's reply.

"What is he talking about?" Zoro asked, thoroughly confused, "Hey! Calm down and listen!"

"I wish you were here to see it!" Bartolomeo said, interrupting the swordsman, "Luffy-senpai was awesome as hell! So was Rei-sama but I didn't really pay attention during that battle because I didn't realize it was him!"

"Him?" Zoro asked out loud, "So he thinks Rei is a boy?"

"Dragon Rider is a girl?!" Kin'emon shouted in horror.

"You didn't know?!" Zoro yelled back, "She's been walking around on the ship without her mask and her braid! Her voice sounds like a girl too!"

"I just thought she was just a very tall, young boy. I did not realize her gender as she does not…" Kin'emon started to say but trailed off with a hint of embarrassment.

"Does not what?" Zoro asked with a skeptical look.

"Have the same silhouette as the courtesan and the shameless woman," Kin'emon finally finished.

Zoro sighed. What's the point in defending Rei's physical features if Rei herself didn't even care?

"Vice Captain!" Bartolomeo shouted down.

"Vice Captain? What are you talking about?" Zoro asked.

"You're Zoro-senpai, aren't you?" Bartolomeo asked, "Luffy-senpai's right hand man?"

"Looks like you're not disguising yourself too well," Kin'emon observed.

"You gave me this disguise!" Zoro angrily replied.

Zoro was about to shout another question to Bartolomeo but Bartolomeo was in tears again. "He can't even have a conversation," Zoro said as a sweat dripped down his forehead.  _This is the only guy we can get to help us?_

"Can I have your autograph?!" Bartolomeo blurted out.

"My autograph?" Zoro repeated. He didn't think he heard right.

"If I bring Luffy-senpai and Rei-sama here, can I have your autograph?" Bartolomeo asked with excitement.

"You can do that for me? I'm counting on you!" Zoro replied back.

Suddenly, Bartolomeo jetted off leaving a trail of dust behind him. "I'll risk my life to bring them here!" he shouted back.

"There's no need to risk…" Zoro started to reply but realized it was pointless.

 _This island is filled with weirdos_ , he thought with a sigh.

* * *

"Rei," Luffy said as he got up from the floor and started to walk away from the convict gladiators, "Let's go watch from somewhere better."

Rei nodded and followed her captain. "I want to go cheer for Rebecca," she said solemnly.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy laughed, "If you're going to cheer, you should act more excited about it."

"Oh, you're right," Rei said as she gave him an embarrassed smile, "I just want her to know that I want her to win her match."

Luffy started to pick up his pace and Rei followed suit. "Then let's get there quicker so we can go see her before it ends!"

They ran through a couple corridors when Rei spotted Bartolomeo. He had the same excited expression as before so Rei thought nothing of it as they ran past.

"Luffy-senpai! Rei-sama!" he called behind them.

Luffy skidded to a halt, which made Rei stop too. She almost ran into the Straw Hat but she stopped within an inch from being slammed into his back. They turned to look at Bartolomeo.

"Bartolomeo!" Rei shouted sternly, "Our names are Raymond and Lucy. Get it right!"

"Rei-sama remembers my name!" Bartolomeo squealed.

Rei took a deep calming breath. "Bartolomeo. Please get a grip."

"That's not important now," Bartolomeo said, as he hurriedly tried to compose himself. His eyes moved from Rei to Luffy. "I-I-I-I-I…"

But it was too much for the Straw Hats' avid fan. He fell to his knees, weak with excitement and anxiety in the presence of the legend, Monkey D. Luffy himself.

"If you're not going to say anything important," Luffy said as he started to turn and walk away, "We're going to go watch Rebecca's match now."

"W-W-W-W-Wait! Don't go!" Bartolomeo yelled, "I was sent by Zoro-senpai!"

Instantly, Rei was in front of him and lifted him up to his feet by dragging him up by his collar.

"Zoro?" she said, her eyes narrowing down at him, "What is it? Is he hurt? What happened?"

"N-n-n-n-n-nothing. He's fine. He's outside the Colosseum," Bartolomeo stammered, in awe of the ferocity and intimidating aura of the new Straw Hat recruit, "He just asked me to bring Luffy-senpai and you to him."

Rei released him from her hold and took a few steps back. She didn't realize how worried she was about Zoro until she heard his name. She had pushed away all thoughts of their plan so that she could focus on the tournament but now all her original worries flooded back.

"Where is he?" Luffy asked excitedly, clearly not sharing the same concerns as Rei.

Bartolomeo covered his eyes in order to shield himself from the majestic glory of Luffy and he inched along the wall, "He's outside the Colosseum. I can show you the way."

"Okay! I'm counting on you, Crest Head!" Luffy said as he and Rei followed him through the building.

"Luffy-senpai is counting on me," Bartolomeo wailed happily. He collapsed onto his knees, overcome with joy.

"LUCY!" Rei snapped, "Call him Lucy!"

"Where do we go?" Luffy asked.

"If he's outside, we should just make run along the windows and then we'll see them."

"Oh! Smart!" Luffy exclaimed.

When they reached the nearest window on the second floor, they spotted Zoro and Kin'emon. Rei let out a huge sigh of relief as they kept running forward to the window that was directly in front of the two swordsman.

"Hey! We're here!" Luffy shouted down, "Zoro! Kin'emon!"

"Don't shout so loud!" Zoro angrily replied back as him and Kin'emon stepped closer to the window, "Somebody's going to find us."

He did a quick scan of his captain and Rei. They looked fine and in good spirits, which eased the tightness in his chest.

"I wasn't sure about the weird man who talks so strangely," Kin'emon said to Zoro, "But it seems like he did what he had to do."

"Where is the guy I sent to find you two?" Zoro called out to Luffy and Rei.

"He collapsed on the way over here," Luffy said.

"What a weird guy," Zoro mumbled to himself. Then, he remembered their current situation and he scowled at Rei.

"Oy! Know-It-All!" he shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing entering the tournament?"

"Helping the captain," Rei called back.

"He doesn't need help winning a tournament!" Zoro growled.

"No," Rei agreed, "But the faster we get rid of the competition, the faster he can win it and we can go back to the plan."

"Zoro! She was awesome!" Luffy shouted excitedly, "She took out Burgess by using his own weapon!'

"I know," Zoro grumbled, "I saw."

That caught Rei in surprise. "You did? Where?"

"Not important."

"Should we call Sanji-dono?" Kin'emon asked as he took out the transponder snail.

"Oh yeah," Zoro said then he turned to the two competitors, "We came here to warn you. The Colosseum has been besieged by the Navy, so you two be careful."

"Oh," Rei said without much worry while Luffy picked his nose.

"You don't care?! That's what we came here for!" Kin'emon complained.

The transponder snail connected and each of the Straw Hats was on the line. Rei smiled as she heard everyone's voices. Although they were still in the thick of it and all of them were in dangerous situations, at least they were all alive. Usopp, Robin, and Franky were apparently underground with an army of little people, led by the Toy Soldier and the rest of the Straw Hats were on the Thousand Sunny. Law was not with any of them.

"The toy soldier we met at the front of the Colosseum? So Rebecca was right. He  _is_  leading an army," Rei commented after everyone reported their status.

"Yah," Franky replied, "And they're planning to take down Doflamingo this very day!"

"Toy Soldier?! Rebecca wants to stop him!" Luffy shouted, "Franky, stop the army!"

"No way!" Franky shouted and then his voice turned serious, "Luffy, I can't follow through with Tra-guy's plan."

"WHAT?!" the Straw Hats cried.

"What are you saying, Franky?!" Usopp gasped.

Franky continued. "From what I remember of the plan, after we destroy the factory, we would take Doflamingo alive and use him to take down Kaido. But what's going to happen to the people who're looking to bring down Doflamingo today?"

Franky paused to take a breath. "It seems like everybody's happy at first but this country has a very dark side. They're getting ready to fight a deadly battle to get rid of that dark side. They're pretty small but they have pretty big balls."

"I can't," he started to say through gritted teeth, "let them down."

He took another pause and Rei could hear him fighting back tears of determination. "Luffy, no matter what you say, I'm gonna fight with them."

Luffy immediately stretched out an arm and grabbed the snail from Kin'emon's hand. "Franky! You're free to go all out! We'll be there as soon as possible!"

"Ow!" Franky exclaimed, "Thanks!"

"Alright, let's go back!" Sanji said through his snail.

"Wait!" Rei cried out, "Don't come back here."

"What?! But we need all the help we can get!" Usopp wailed through the phone.

"Usopp. Robin," she said calmly, "You two are with Franky and not with Law. I can only assume something happened with Caesar."

Zoro nodded. "The deal fell through."

"Caesar is with us," Sanji reported.

"And where's Law?" Rei asked.

"Last time we saw him, he was fighting Doflamingo," Sanji reported.

"That's what I was afraid of," Rei said mostly to herself. She locked eyes with Luffy but kept her voice loud enough for it to play through the transponder snail, "I strongly advise that the Thousand Sunny goes to Zou."

"I agree," Nami said over the snail, "As much as we'd like to help Tra-guy and help the Little People's army win the fight, we need to face the facts. Doflamingo is after three things. Caesar, the SMILE factory, and Momonosuke, for some reason. Since we have two out of the three here, it makes sense for us to take them away. Tra-guy sacrificed himself and fought Doflamingo head-on so that we could get away."

"Momo?!" Kin'emon shouted, "He wants to take Momo?"

"Stay calm," Zoro snapped, "We won't let him take Momo."

Kin'emon gulped and nodded at the swordsman with a mix of fear and trust.

"Franky. Usopp. Robin," Rei said, "I have a favor to ask."

"What is it, Rei?" Robin asked.

"Can you put the Toy Soldier on the line? I have something to ask him," Rei said as she looked over at Luffy.

"Uh...okay. Wait a second," Usopp said and Rei could hear some rustling and footsteps before the Toy Soldier's voice came on the line.

"Hello," he said stiffly, 'This is the Toy Soldier."

"How are you related to King Riku?" Rei demanded.

"What?!" he gasped.

"Are you Rebecca's father?" Rei bluntly asked.

Now it was Luffy's turn to be shocked. "What?!"

"How did-" the Toy Soldier sputtered.

"I'm a genius," Rei stated, "So there really is a Hobby-Hobby fruit user on this island?"

"Hobby-Hobby fruit?!" Usopp asked.

"Ow! That's right! I forgot you mentioned that!" Franky cried, "If they touch you turn into a toy!"

"And everyone else forgets about you," Rei added.

"So no one will come to your rescue because they wouldn't know you existed in the first place," Robin stated.

"Don't say it so calmly?!" Usopp ranted at Robin.

"Toy Soldier," Rei repeated, "Is there an actual Hobby-Hobby fruit user on this island?"

There was a long pause but Rei did not rush the Toy Soldier. It had probably been a long time before someone had acknowledged his human life.

"Yes," the Toy Soldier finally said softly, "Sugar."

"I don't know what your plan is to take down Doflamingo," Rei said, "But it would beneficial for you to know that all the losers of this tournament are being trapped underneath the Colosseum. My guess is they are deep underground and they're going to be turned into toys against their will."

Once again, she shocked the Toy Soldier. "How did-?!"

"She's a genius. Get over it!" Zoro snapped impatiently, "Just tell her everything she wants to know."

"There's an underground trade port for a black market and a mysterious factory, where the Tonttata's and the toys are forced to work nonstop," the Toy Soldier finally said.

Rei drew in a breath. She understood everything now. "And if you destroy those two facilities, you'll take out a big part of Doflamingo's power."

"Rei, what are you thinking?" Nami asked gently.

"I'm thinking it's a good thing Usopp is there with you, Toy Soldier," Rei said, which caused a yelp from Usopp's end.

"Me?! Why me?!" Usopp cried.

Rei tried to sound as apologetic as she could. "No one can touch a Hobby-Hobby user or else they'll turn into a toy."

"So?!" Usopp protested.

"You're a long distance sniper," Rei replied, "And an extremely cautious one at that. If anyone can take out a Hobby-Hobby fruit user without getting close to her, it's you."


	38. Doflamingo Arrives

An unexpected crash near the Colosseum put a pause on the Straw Hats' conversation. Zoro, Rei, Luffy, and Kin'emon watched wide-eyed as buildings started to fall one by one.

"What is going?" Luffy asked as the dust blew up from the ground and into his face, "I can't see anything."

"Watch out," Rei said. Her tone turned cold and serious as she sensed a dangerous presence through the dust and smoke with her Observational Haki. She knew Luffy and Zoro could feel it too without looking at the two.

The dust cleared and they saw the wounded body of Trafalgar Law, lying with arms spread wide on the ground. Standing over him was the Warlord and the cause of this kingdom's quiet rage, Doflamingo.

"Tra-guy! What are you doing-" Luffy started to shout.

Three gun shots straight into Law's chest interrupted the rubber man's clamoring and they watched in horror as Doflamingo shot their ally point blank.

"Tra-guy!" Luffy cried.

"What's going on?" Usopp shouted from the snail, "I heard screaming and gunshots!"

"Luffy! Tell us what's happening!" Sanji's voice shouted as well.

Luffy, Kin'emon, and Zoro were too much in shock to reply so Rei took the snail from Luffy's hands.

"Guys," she said under her breath, "Doflamingo is here."

"WHAT?!" the rest of the Straw Hats cried.

"And he just shot Law," Rei said through gritted teeth.

"WHAT?!" they cried again.

"How dare you shoot Tra-guy!" Luffy called out to Doflamingo.

"Cora-san," Law murmured ever so softly.

"Straw Hat," Doflamingo said with an evil grin on his face, "This is none of your business. Law used to be one of my subordinates. Responsibility for dealing with him falls to me."

"Sanji. Nami," Rei said softly into the transponder snail, "Sail away now, while Doflamingo is not near the sea."

Sanji started to protest but Rei cut him off. "Don't worry. I'll stay on the line and tell you guys everything that is happening. Just go!"

She looked up just in time to see Zoro and Kin'emon running towards Doflamingo.

"Zoro!" she gasped, forgetting the snail in her hands and what she just told Sanji.

"I'll go for Doflamingo. Kin, go get Law!" Zoro growled to the samurai.

With Shusui in hand, Zoro swung his sword towards Doflamingo only to have it suddenly stopped by a blind man in a purple robe and Admiral coat.

Rei stood frozen as she recognized the marine. "Fujitora!"

"Rei, what's going on?!" Usopp shouted again through the phone.

"The old man from the restaurant?" Luffy asked, scratching his head in confusion, "What is he doing here?"

"He's one of the Admirals of the Navy," Rei gulped, "So that's where the big hole in the restaurant came from."

"An Admiral?!" Luffy gasped.

"Wait! Did someone say Admiral?" Usopp's voice rang out through the snail but Rei was too caught up in the scene in front of her to respond.

A sudden force exerted on Zoro pushed him to the ground, causing the floor around him to break. Zoro was unable to move his body as the pressure on him was too strong. The lens of his sunglasses broke from the pressure.

Instantly, the floor broke underneath him and he fell further down into a dark hole, created by Fujitora. Rei was unable to see just how far down Zoro had fallen.

"ZORO!" Rei cried as she rushed to the window, dropping the snail, and gripped the bars tightly until her knuckles turned white.  _Damn it_ , she thought,  _Even if I use Linked Haki to get him, I'd be trapped under Fujitora's force as well._  She bit her lip in frustration until blood started to come out. _Think, damn it! THINK!_

Suddenly, Kin'emon, who was now very close to grabbing Law, was cut vertically by Doflamingo and he fell backwards onto the floor.

"KIN'EMON!" Luffy shouted as he grabbed the bars too.

Instantly the rubber man felt weak. "Sea Prism Stone," he whimpered before crashing on the ground.

The ground shook and Rei felt a sudden Haki split the air. The Haki was familiar in a way but she did not have time to assess it as Zoro jumped out of the hole and landed safely in front of the Colosseum. It appeared he had launched a sword attack that sliced through the air towards Fujitora, who managed to block it. Whatever force that was holding Zoro down was no longer there.

"I can't believe the blind old gambler was a Navy admiral," Zoro said as he stayed kneeling on the ground.

"Thank you for your help earlier," Fujitora said in his gruff voice, "You people were nice to me so it feels like I'm paying you back with ingratitude. Life is full of ironies."

Rei saw the blood falling down the side of Zoro's mouth and her chest tightened. She looked over at Doflamingo and realized that he was holding up his hand to strike Kin'emon again.

"Oy. Mingo," she called out to the Warlord.

Doflamingo raised an eyebrow at her but did not lose his satanic smile. Even though he was wearing sunglasses, Rei could still feel his deathly gaze and it sent a slight shiver down her spine.

"Want to know why they call me 'Red Ghost' Rei?" she asked.

"Idiot! What are you-" Zoro shouted but it was too late.

She was already outside the Colosseum using her Linked Haki. It was a short distance so the aftershock was manageable but she still had to draw in a breath to steady herself. She glared at Doflamingo and ignored Zoro. "Because I can walk through walls."

"'Red Ghost' Rei," Doflamingo sneered as he started to lower his hand, "A pleasure to meet you."

Rei walked forward but now her attention was on Fujitora, whose sword she noticed was still partially out of his scabbard.  _Keep your focus on me, Fujitora._

"Everything about you is ironic," she spat to the Vice Admiral, "You're a marine and your duty is to fight pirates but now you're fighting alongside one of them. You standing by Doflamingo is ironic in itself."

Fujitora cocked his head to the side as he took in the girl's words. Zoro watched as Rei walked past him and Kin'emon. What is she doing? he thought to himself, She can't possibly take on both of them by herself!

"You're supposed to be the good guy, upholding the words on your back, but where are you when the people actually needed your help? The words printed on your coat is ironic." Rei continued accusingly.

"Rei!" Luffy shouted out, "What are you doing?!"

She stopped when she stood only a foot in front of Doflamingo and Fujitora. She took out her dagger chains and held it out in front of her. "This island doesn't need irony. It needs justice."

Fujitora and Doflamingo readied themselves for her attack but she surprised them by throwing them to her side and wrapping it around Zoro and Kin'emon.

"Linked Haki," she shouted and they were behind the walls of the Colosseum.

Rei's body burned and she felt as though all her organs were about to burst. It wasn't enough to kill her, though, and she knew it. She dropped the hold on her chains and fell onto the ground.

"Rei! That was so cool!" Luffy exclaimed. It was the first time he had seen her Linked Haki up close.

His compliment was not heard though as Rei was sprawled on the floor as results from the after shock. Her eyes were closed and her ears rang. She tried to focus on her breath to ride out the pain.

"Oy! Know it All!" Zoro called out in panic, as he knelt beside her and shook her by the shoulders, "What were you thinking transporting all of us back? That's too much weight!"

"Rei!" Luffy shouted, "REI!"

Kin'emon covered his wound with a free hand as he stumbled closer to Rei.

"What's going on?!" Usopp shouted from the snail, which was lying by Rei's feet, "Is Kin'emon and Zoro okay? What about Rei? Did something happen to Rei?!"

Rei couldn't answer as she was still lying on her back. Her blood rose up in her throat. She immediately turned to her side to cough it out. She felt as if she was about to pass out again.

Kin'emon grabbed the snail that she had dropped and answered for her. "We're fine. Dragon Rider has taken us into the Colosseum with her magic and Zoro has escaped from the Navy Admiral."

"WHAT?!" Usopp shouted, "What is going on over there?! I knew I heard you guys say something about an Admiral?!"

"Is Doflamingo working with the Navy? That means there are hundreds of enemies out there," Robin commented.

"It's not a matter of numbers," Usopp exclaimed, "Just one admiral is already a big problem to us."

"Lucy," Rei panted, ignoring the sniper's cries, "Keep your eyes on Doflamingo and Law."

Luffy nodded and went to the window but his eyes still clouded with worry.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get him," Rei continued through her labored breaths, "I could only save two…"

"Oy!" Zoro growled as he positioned himself so that he was kneeling behind her. He lifted her upper body up so that she could lean against him, sitting up. "Don't be so reckless!"

Rei was slightly trembling so it was comforting to her to lean on something as sturdy and solid as Zoro. The burning sensation she felt through her muscles tore through her whole body. "As reckless as you getting into a fight with the Navy Admiral?"

Zoro was annoyed at her response. This was not the time for her snippy comebacks. "I was going for Doflamingo."

"Equally as dangerous," she replied.

"I'm not the-" Zoro started to argue but he stopped short when he felt her hand rest on top of his, the one that was holding her up by the waist.

She stared straight ahead, her eyes on Luffy and Kin'emon, but her hand tightened around his. "I can't lose you," she said, more to herself than to him.

"Tch, what makes you think I was going to lose?" he scoffed back.

"You think the rest of the marines would just idly stand by, while we fight an Admiral and a Warlord? Our best bet is to retreat for now," she replied, "We'll get back Law. He's still alive. I think he said something after he got shot."

Kin'emon and Luffy stayed near the window to watch what was going on. Outside, Fujitora made two slices on the ground with his sword. Part of the ground where he and Doflamingo stood started to float up as Doflamingo grabbed Law by his collar.

"Tra-guy!" Luffy shouted as Doflamingo and Fujitora floated away.

"Law-dono has been taken," Kin'emon reported into the transponder snail.

"We need to look for an exit," Rei panted as she clenched her fists and stood shakily up on her feet, "And go get Law back."

"You can't even walk let alone fight!" Zoro argued, but he put her arm around his shoulder to help her as they ran forward, "Luffy! Kin! We need to find an exit!"

Brook's scream suddenly came through from the transponder snail.

"What's going on?!" Luffy shouted, making a grab for the snail, as he and Kin'emon hurried to run alongside Zoro and Rei.

"Big Mom's ship is here!" Chopper's voice cried.

"Is she on the ship?!" Luffy asked.

"I don't know but I see the two that we met on Fish Island," Sanji's voice reported.

"Luffy!" Usopp shouted through his snail, "You shouldn't have picked a fight with her!"

"You guys picked a fight with one of the Four Emperor's and now you're about to start one with another?!" Rei murmured in amazement.

Zoro shot an annoyed look down at the red head as they ran. "Why is your tone shock and awe?! You're focusing on the wrong thing right now!"

"Seems like they're here for Caesar!" Sanji interrupted.

"I swindled research funds from them," Caesar answered, "Please help me!"

"This is exactly why they should take the Sunny and just go. It would be even worse if we had to fight Doflamingo and Big Mom at the same time," Rei said, directing her advice to her captain.

"Sanji! Nami! Chopper! Brook! Momo!" Luffy shouted as he grabbed the snail from Rei, "You guys go ahead and sail to Zou! We'll meet you guys there!"

"Roger that, Captain!" Sanji said.

Suddenly, Rei remembered something important that might be of use to her friends.

"Nami!" she shouted at the navigator, "I left my mask on my bed. Go get it and hold onto it."

"Your mask?" Nami asked, "Why would we need it?"

"On the other side of the mask is a stamp mark from the Navy. If you run into any marines or any of their warships, show them that mark," Rei said.

"Why? What's so important about a stamp mark?" Nami asked.

"It's a one-time pardon from the Navy," Rei said, "It allows you to sail freely past without being pursued by the marines but you can only use it once so only use it if you run into marines you can't beat."

"WHAT?!" All the Straw Hats shouted, "You had that this whole time and you didn't tell us?!"

"I was saving it in case of an emergency," Rei said with an apologetic smile, "The ship is without it's captain. I think that should suffice as an emergency."

"Ow! Rei-sis! How did you even get that super stamp?!" Franky asked.

"Like I said before," Rei answered, "It paid well to be a Royal Tactician."

"Okay, that helps us with the marines," Sanji drawled, "But how about giving us permission to counter-attack Big Mom's ship, Luffy?!"

"Yeah, you got it," Luffy replied with a smile.

"Count on us to destroy the factory!" Franky shouted from his end.

"All of you, be safe!" Luffy cautioned.

"Roger that!" the Straw Hats shouted back.


	39. the New Competitor

The Know-It-All just didn't know when to shut up. Even when she couldn't run without his support, it didn't stop her from advising Luffy and show that she was still strategizing. Zoro was starting to realize that you could take the girl out of her command post, but you couldn't take the commander out of the girl.

Her voice was back to normal and her breath was even so he knew she was feeling a lot better than a moment ago. She was starting to lean less on him as she ran too. There were a few moments where she was actually moving slightly faster than he was. There were also a few times where she stumbled and was close to falling. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that she did that to stop him from changing direction as she only did that when he was about to turn a corner.

"Luffy," Rei said as they searched for an exit, "I think we need to find Bellamy."

"Bellamy?" Luffy asked, "Why?"

"He works for the Donquixote family now," Rei said, "He must know where the exit is."

"Oh yeah!" Luffy said with a grin, "Let's go find him!"

As if they were blessed by a guardian angel, they rounded a corner and found the Hyena who was being supported by Bartolomeo. He looked severely injured. In fact, his wounds were new and not the ones that Rei and Luffy had seen him with when he finished his Block B battle.

"Oh! Crest Head!" Luffy shouted and ran up to the pair, "Glad to see you here!"

"Luffy-senpai!" Bartolomeo squealed before falling to his knees and dropping Bellamy in the process, "Zoro-senpai! Rei-sama!"

"You really need to pull yourself together," Rei quipped.

"Yes, Rei-sama," Bartolomeo said with awe in his eyes. He wiped away the tears that started to moisten his eyeballs but as he did so, he managed to make eye contact with Zoro. Being in such close proximity to Luffy's #2 crew member threw him over the edge.

"Th-th-th-," he sobbed, "This is the best day of my life!"

"Huh?" Zoro asked, but he directed his question to Rei, "Seriously, what's with this guy?"

Rei shrugged and gave a helpless sigh, "He can't seem to act normal around any of the Straw Hats. He says the whole reason he became a pirate was because of Luffy. He met him in Loguetown or something."

"Loguetown," Zoro said a little wistfully as he remembered their early adventures, "With that clown guy. So he was there, huh?"

"I guess so. What were you doing there?" Rei asked.

"Luffy wanted to see where Gol D. Roger died," Zoro stated.

"I wonder what the place is like. The birthplace and grave of Captain Roger," Rei said mostly to herself, "Maybe I can go to the East Blue one day and see for myself."

"Ah. Maybe one day," Zoro said with a nod and then he looked at her curiously, " _Captain_  Roger?"

"That's what my dad called him," Rei said with a shrug.

"Oh to be able to be on such familiar grounds with the late Pirate King," Bartolomeo wailed, "I am not worthy to be in your presence. I-"

"Enough already!" Zoro snapped at the crest head.

Meanwhile, Luffy was busy convincing Bellamy to show them the exit. "We need your help. We need to find an exit. Can you please show us the way?"

"Once a competitor enters a tournament," Bellamy replied darkly, "He can't get out. It's no use looking for an exit."

"Aren't you one of Doflamingo's subordinates?!" Luffy argued, "You must know of a way out."

Bellamy grimaced at the mention of the word "subordinate" and Rei noticed his reaction.  _I wonder what happened_ , she thought, _He was full of pride a minute ago to be under Doflamingo._

"Please help us," Luffy pleaded, "My friend is in danger!"

Bellamy gritted his teeth and avoided their gaze. "I'm going to get out of here now. If you follow me, maybe you can get out too."

"Okay, we'll go out with you!" Luffy shouted.

"Wait a minute!" Bartolomeo interjected, "What about the Flare Flare Fruit, Luffy-senpai?"

"I want to make sure the fruit doesn't get into the wrong hands," Luffy said glancing between Bartolomeo and Zoro, contemplating the situation at hand. Finally, he sighed. "But we don't have much choice. My friend's going to die."

Rei felt another wave of guilt. "I'm sorry I couldn't save Law. I could only grab two and-"

"Don't apologize," Luffy reassured her, "You did great!"

"In that case," Bartolomeo chimed in, "You can count on me! I entered the tournament with the goal to bring you the precious keepsake from Ace-sama!"

"What?!" Luffy shouted, "I can have it?!"

"Of course! It belongs to you!" Bartolomeo cheered with his back turned toward Luffy. He was still not able to face his idol.

They started to hear footsteps coming down the hall and towards them. They stopped their discussion to see who was approaching. A man with blonde hair and a black top hat was coming towards them. He had a burn scar on his eye and a slight smile on his lips. "I won't let you have the Flare-Flare Fruit, Straw Hat Luffy."

"What?! What are you saying?" Luffy demanded to the stranger, "You can't just appear and say you won't let me have the fruit."

The man took off his hat and his smile got bigger. It was a warm smile and Rei didn't sense that he would cause them any harm. She looked quizzically at her captain and realized his face had turned pale. Luffy looked as if he just saw a ghost.

"Do you know this man?" she asked her captain.

The rubber man was speechless and could not utter even a tiny syllable. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He resembled a fish out of water.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-You're…." Luffy managed to get out.

"It's been awhile," the man smiled, "Luffy!"

Luffy collapsed into tears of joy and he screamed out towards the man. He was so in shock that he wasn't able to form words. Rei glanced over at Zoro for a social cue on how to react. She was never any good at dealing with crying people. Zoro seemed to be at a loss as well. His face was expressionless and his free hand was nowhere near his swords so he didn't sense any danger as well.

"You must be some of his crew members," the man said turning his attention to Rei and Zoro and slightly bowing his head, "Thank you for taking care of my brother."

"You are Luffy-dono's brother?!" Kin'emon shouted, "But you two look nothing alike!"

"Brother?!" Zoro yelled too, almost dropping Rei, "But I thought Luffy's only brother was 'Fire Fist' Ace."

"It's a long story," the man said, shrugging it off, "A lot of people think I'm dead."

"So that means you're brothers with 'Fire Fist' Ace as well," Rei commented. She seemed to be the least affected by this man's bombshell news, "I guess, you have just as much claim to the fruit then as Luffy."

"Yes, I've come to take your place in the competition if that's alright with you, Luffy." the man said as he reached out to grab Luffy's helmet. Luffy was curled up in tears so he couldn't put up much of a fight, even if he was against it.

Rei looked at her captain. "Lucy," she asked cautiously, "Are you okay?"

Zoro decided not to take the delicate approach. "Oy!" he barked at the rubber man, "Pull yourself together."

That only seemed to make the captain cry harder.

Rei gave a shrug to the blonde man. "Well, he seems to be happy to see you."

She looked over at Zoro and knew he was not going to like what she was about to say. She steadied herself on her own feet as she lifted her arm off of Zoro's shoulder and freed herself from his support. "Zoro, I don't think I'm going with you and Luffy anymore."

He glared down and she could see the veins in his neck start to bulge. "What are you talking about?!"

Rei explained quickly. "If he takes Luffy's place, then I'll need to stay. Doflamingo has eyes on the tournament. His top executive, Diamante, is in charge of Colosseum so I'm sure he's keeping tabs on it. If I'm there, it'll help sell the fact that Sabo is Luffy. Doflamingo will think Luffy and I are still competitors. His guard won't be as high when you and Luffy get to him."

Zoro said nothing as he processed what Rei was saying. It made a lot of sense but it still didn't feel right to him.

"If Doflamingo sees Luffy fighting but not me, he's going to know something is up," Rei continued, "I can still fight and the odds are in our favor for the tournament."

She then turned to the new competitor. "Are you a strong fighter?"

The man laughed, "I'm the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. What do you think?"

Rei took a step back as she realized his identity. "You're Sabo?"

The mention of his name resulted in another sob from Luffy. Zoro heaved a frustrated sigh in his captain's direction. "Oy! Luffy! We need to get going!"

"I'm sorry," Rei apologized to Sabo and ignoring Zoro and Luffy for the moment, "I've only read Naval Reports mentioning your name but I never saw a picture."

Sabo grinned as he put Luffy's helmet on his head. "Nice to meet you, 'Red Ghost' Rei!"

"Are we going or what?!" Bellamy growled from behind.

Kin'emon hurriedly helped Luffy to his feet. "Luffy-dono, we need to go."

The rubber man started to follow Bellamy, still in tears. "Okay," he gulped, "Now I know the fruit is in good hands."

"And don't worry about Rebecca!," Rei asserted, "I'll keep her safe!"

"Thank you!" Luffy shouted as he ran off with Kin'emon.

Only Zoro stayed, unmoving and locking eyes with Rei. "Oy, Know It All-"

"I won't die."

Her statement was not something he expected her to say but what actually caught him off guard was that her hand was suddenly touching his cheek. "Huh?"

"I won't die," Rei repeated solemnly with her hand feeling the warmth of his cheek. She moved her thumb so to wipe off some of the drying blood on the corner of his lips, "So don't you dare die on me."

"Know It All, are you worried about me?" Zoro asked with a smirk.

On the sidelines, Bartolomeo was bewildered by the scene in front of him.  _Is Zoro-senpai into guys?! Either way, he's a magnificent man and I'll respect him no matter what, but I'm so surprised! I never thought he'd swing that way._

"You'll never be able to catch up with Luffy and Kin'emon if you don't run now," Rei said to Zoro, avoiding his question and drawing back her hand.

Zoro knew he was running out of time and he had to leave immediately. He frowned at Rei before he broke his gaze away from hers. "Okay," he said as he sprinted off, "We'll see each other later. Alive."

Rei, Sabo, and Bartolomeo watched as they turned a corner and out of their sight. Rei noticed that Sabo had tears in his eyes but she didn't say anything.

"Bartolomeo," she said walking over to the Crest Head, "If Rebecca makes it through the next round, you will need to protect her with your barrier no matter what."

"Rebecca?" Bartolomeo asked, "Why her?"

"Think of her as a friend to Luffy-senpai," Rei answered, "If anything happens to her, don't even think about meeting more of the crew."

"I'LL GET TO MEET THE REST OF THE STRAW HATS?!" Bartolomeo squealed.

"If you stick around us long enough, you might," Rei said.

"'Red Ghost' Rei," Sabo called out suddenly and she turned to face the revolutionary, "Thank you for taking care of my brother. I know he can be a handful at times and-"

"Actually, he's been taking care of me," Rei stated, "I don't feel like I've done much for them yet."

Sabo stood back up and grinned at her. "You entering the tournament and supporting him is enough."

"I assume that you are not blood related to my captain," she said.

"No, but our bond is just as strong."

"Then how did you end up with his father and not him?"

"It's a long story."

"And Luffy thought you were dead this whole time?"

"Yes."

 _Thwack._  Rei's palm connected sharply across Sabo's cheek. Bartolomeo yelled out in shock. Even with a helmet on, the force was still strong enough to cause some pain to Sabo and he stared at the red head.

He was surprised to see that her face was calm and unmoving, instead of the angry look he expected to see. "What was that for?"

"I know Luffy is happy to see you now," Rei stated, "But I also know what it's like to lose a family member. That was for making him think you were dead all these years. Now that you have lost Ace, you know how torturous it feels. Luffy had to live through that twice in his life now."

"But I-" Sabo interjected but Rei cut him off.

"I'm sure you have your reasons and I'm sure Luffy will understand but as his nakama, I just wanted to vent a little on his behalf," Rei said and then she pointed a finger in Sabo's face, "Don't do that to him again."

"It's not like I wanted to," Sabo said in defense but he said it with a smile.

This time Rei was the one to bow to the blonde man. "Thank you for coming back into his life."

Bartolomeo's sobs interrupted the two and they turned to look at the crest head. "So beautiful! Luffy-senpai has such loyal friends and family! I was right to idolize such an honorable person!"

"Who is this guy?" Sabo asked Rei, jabbing a thumb in Bartolomeo's direction.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself," Rei said, assessing the captain of the Barto Club, "Friend would be too strong of a word but he's definitely not a stranger."

"I am Luffy-senpai's humble servant!" Bartolomeo wailed.

"Ooooh," Sabo whistled, "Luffy's making quite a name for himself if he's already getting fans."

He stretched his arms behind his head, which reminded Rei of what Luffy usually does, and started to walk down the Colosseum. "Come on, let's go watch the tournament!"

"Is Luffy the only reason why you're here on this island?" Rei asked as she followed his lead, "Or are you here on more official business?"

Sabo paused in his tracks for a beat before returning to his original gait. "They told me you were smart."

" _They_  were right," Rei stated,

"Yes, I'm not just here for Luffy," Sabo admitted, "This island is supplying weapons to various warring countries and we're here to find the source. Some of my people are here investigating as well."

Rei bursted out into laughter and this time, Sabo stopped dead in his tracks to look at her. Both him and Bartolomeo stared at her as if she grew two heads. She laughed so hard, she doubled over and gasped for breath by the time she was finished.

"What's so funny, Rei-sama?" Bartolomeo asked with a worried look.

Rei was in too good of a mood to even remind him to call her Raymond. "It's just...our timing," she said in between fits of laughter.

Sabo cocked his head in confusion. "What?"

"We came to this island the same day as Fujitora and the Revolutionary Army," Rei said placing a hand over her forehead, "Our timing is either excellent or just plain terrible."

She shook her head in bemusement. "Sanji had warned Law that it won't go exactly as he planned but this is entirely out of control."

She started to laugh again as the ridiculousness of the situation overwhelmed her. Even Sabo started to chuckle alongside her.

"Ah," he said as he walked down the Colosseum again, "Luffy tends to do that to carefully thought-out plans. It's like he is incapable of doing anything subtly. Trouble just follows him everywhere."

"Trouble or adventure?" Rei mused.

Sabo gave another chuckle, "I can see why you're on his crew."


	40. Enter Diamante

Sabo, Rei, and Bartolomeo got back to viewing the tournament just in time to see Suleiman the Beheader singling out Rebecca in the Block D Battle. He had his sword raised over his head, ready to strike the pink haired gladiator. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a falling Cavendish, who knocked into the back of Suleiman.

"Cavendish?" Rei murmured to herself. Something about the blonde was off. He was stumbling around and swaying as if he was about to collapse.

"No. Not collapse," Rei said with a gasp, "He's falling asleep?!"

The swordsman fell onto the floor, which attracted the 20 other competitors still in the battle. They started to approach him like vultures, circling their prey. Out of nowhere, a strong gust of wind blew out from the center of the arena. Dust started to rise and block the view for the audience. All Rei could hear were screams and blades slashing through the air. A faint shadow moved within the dust storm and took down almost all of the competitors.

"What?!" Bartolomeo cried out in confusion.

When the screaming stopped and the dust finally cleared, the only one left standing was Rebecca.

Rei was stunned. "Rebecca won?"

"I thought you wanted her to win?" Bartolomeo asked.

"I do…" Rei said, "But what I want and what happens in reality are two separate things."

The audience booed and jeered as the announcer made the declaration that Rebecca is the victor. The audience accused her of cheating and using cheap tricks to win the battle. Rei's focus was not on Rebecca anymore, however. Her eyes fell on the body of Cavendish. Rei couldn't find any cuts or injuries of any kind. Everyone else seemed have sustained deep gashes but Cavendish was unharmed and fast asleep.

"I can't believe she won without landing a single blow," Bartolomeo said as he picked his nose.

"That's one way to win a fight," Sabo observed, "Plus, she wasn't just lucky. She was the only one who fended off Hakuba's attack."

"I couldn't see anything!" Bartolomeo shouted, "Only you, my great senpai could see it."

Rei turned to Sabo. "Hakuba?"

"Cavendish has a split personality. When he falls asleep, his alter-ego takes over. His name is Hakuba and he is a dangerous swordsman," Sabo explained.

Rei was alarmed. "When he falls asleep?!"

Her mind raced as she thought about the previous night and her attack on Nami. She couldn't help but worry that she would end up like Cavendish if she didn't get her nightmares under control.

Sabo misinterpreted her look of worry. "We'll still be able to get the Flare-Flare fruit even if he was the winner of this match. No matter who it is," Sabo said as he walked off, "I won't let anybody have the Flare-Flare Fruit."

"Bartolomeo," Rei said, as a thought occurred to her.

"Yes, Rei-sama?" Bartolomeo asked.

"What do you say in this situation?" Rei asked, "When you want Rebecca to know that you're happy that she won but you don't want her to get the Flare-Flare Fruit?"

"I don't know," Bartolomeo said, scratching his head, "Being nice to others isn't really my strong suit. How about 'Congratulations, you didn't die?'"

Rei thought about it. It did make sense and it was how she was feeling. "Yes," she said with a nod, "That'll work. Thank you for your help."

Bartolomeo bursted into tears. He had never been closer to fulfilling his dream of being part of the Straw Hats until this very day.

Rei was about to tell him to pull it together when the announcer's voice cut in.

"I have sad news!" he called out, "The four executives who were to fight in the finals had to withdraw from the competition."

"Most likely to guard the factory and Law," Rei said to herself.

"But don't worry!" the announcer continued, "Believe it or not, the hero of the Colosseum, Mr. Diamante is going to fight in the finals in a last minute substitution!"

"Makes no difference," Rei said, "One or four...The fruit is ours."

"Ah," Sabo agreed.

They headed toward the entrance to the arena and that's when they spotted Rebecca returning from her match. She noticed them as well.

"Lucy! Raymond! I'm moving on to…" she started to say excitedly when she noticed the difference in "Lucy's" composure.

Rei gave Rebecca a small smile, "Congratulations. You didn't die."

Rebecca was taken aback by Rei's comment but that didn't stop her from realizing that this Lucy was a new person.

"Rebecca," Sabo said as he stopped in front of her, "I know your background."

"My background?" Rebecca repeated.

He put a hand on her shoulder, "It's going to get a little messy maybe, but I won't do you wrong."

He resumed walking as Rebecca stood still, unsure of how to react to this new Lucy's statement. Rei and Bartolomeo followed his lead as well.

"This country puts up a good front," Sabo said quietly, although the rest of them could hear him, "But this country is like the country we grew up in, in some ways."

"You and Luffy?" Rei asked, "You grew up in the East Blue, right?"

"Yes in the Goa Kingdom. Luffy was raised in the Foosha Village but I basically grew up in the Gray Terminal," Sabo responded.

"Gray Terminal?"

"A junkyard," Sabo said solemnly, "A slum for people in that kingdom with nowhere else to go."

Rei sensed there was more to the story but she didn't press. Part of her wanted her to know more about Luffy but an even bigger part of her would rather hear it from the rubber man himself.

Rei, Sabo, and Bartolomeo stood silently in front of the entrance as they watched the Colosseum set up the arena for the final tournament. The fighting area was a lot smaller than it was during the Battle Royale and there were gaps now around the edges of the ring making it a lot easier to fall into the water.

"Alright! Let's go, Rei and Marine Colosseo!" Sabo said excitedly as he picked up his weapon.

Rei noted that he shared the same enthusiasm to a fight as her captain.

"My name is Bartolomeo!" Bartolomeo whined.

"Just remember, your job is to keep Rebecca safe," Rei said, as she and Sabo headed into the stadium first.

"Here comes our first contenders! And it's the crowd's favorite - LUCY!" the announcer shouted.

At least no one knows we've switched a competitor, Rei thought to herself.

"His likeable nature has captured the crowd's hearts!" the announcer continued, while the crowd cheered on, "And behind him is...Raymond! Also an unknown from the street. His quick thinking has made him quite the wildcard in today's competition!"

Rei noticed that most of the cheers were for Lucy but she didn't mind. She wasn't there for their approval or attention. If anything, she envied the response Bartolomeo received when he walked in. She wished she had done what he did, which was to yell a big "Screw you!" at the beginning of his match.

"Oh! The next contender has appeared!" the announcer called, "The man that antagonized the crowds! Bartolomeo the Cannibal!"

The cheers quickly turned to boos and hisses as the crowd adamantly showed their disdain for the winner of Block B. The negative calling turned even worse when Rebecca stepped onto the arena.

"Now coming in, the 'Phantom Princess," the announcer shouted, "of the heinous King Riku Family."

Rei turned to Rebecca and she waited for her to take her place in the arena before giving her a thumbs up sign, hoping to encourage her. Instead, Rebecca gave her a curious look back.

I'm sending mixed signals, Rei thought to herself, What is the social protocol for this situation?

"Now! Let me introduce you to the man who is going to fight these four!" the announcer shouted, interupting Rei's thoughts. A dramatic cloud of smoke burst through the entrance, "He saved our country along with our king, Donquixote Doflamingo, and is one of the top Executives of the Family. Mr. Diamante!"

The smoke cleared and a man stood with his arms raised, holding a transponder snail on a stand over his head like a rockstar. He wore a red cape with a lavish yellow collar around it that sprouted above his head. He also had red paint smeared down his two eyes.

What a clown, Rei thought to herself as he danced around the arena. He twirled the stand in his hands as he spun around the ground. When he finally stopped, he struck a pose in the center of the arena. He made a shooting gesture with his forefinger and thumb towards Rebecca. "Boom," he said to her with a vicious smile.

The crowd went wild but the winners of the Block Battles were less than amused. Diamante ignored the competitors and he basked in the limelight.

"It's the final here in the Corrida Colosseum!" the announcer shouted with tears streaming down his face, "The four winners from the first round and Mr. Diamante! The winner of this battle will win a Logia-type fruit, the most powerful type! The Flare-Flare fruit!"

"Don't start yet!" a voice called out from inside the Colosseum.

The competitors and Diamante all turned to find the source. Three men ran out from the entrance and towards the center of the ring. "Take Rebecca out! Redo the Block D match!" one of them demanded, "We don't recognize her as the winner of Block D! She cheated!"

To both Rei and Rebecca's surprise, Diamante stepped forward and moved himself between Rebecca and her three attackers. "Don't be such poor losers," he said calmly to the men, "It's over."

He pulled forward his red cape and blocked his body with it. "Don't ruin my tournament."

"What the hell? Get out of our way!" the men shouted at him.

"Charge into this," Diamante taunted as he waved his red cape in front of him like a matador instigating a bull.

The men did not hesitate in their step at all and they raised their weapons.

"Lock," Diamante said softly and Rei watched as his cape turned solid, breaking the mens' weapons when they collided with it. The men fell backwards, thrown off by the ricochet of their attack.

"It's a steel cape," Diamante said, "I ate the Ripple-Ripple Fruit and became a flag human."

He held up his rapier and the blade started to wave in the air. "I can make anything I touch ripple in the wind like a flag, even my own body," Diamante continued.

The blade of his sword started to twist and turn into the shape of a bull with sharp horns.

"Lock," Diamante said smoothly as the blade snapped into the bull shape and returned to it's sharp metal material. He plunged it towards the the three men, "Corrida Glaive!"

The men flew through the air with a scream and landed right outside the arena, on the grated walkway that connected the arena to the entrance. Their blood dripped into the water through the metal.

"You guys should go back," Diamante said, "We have a special kind of Fighting Fish for the finals. They love the smell of blood."

As if on cue, a Fighter Fish launched itself from the water and up in the air. Diamante was right. It was a different fish than before. Rei noted that the eyes were now a sinister red and they were twice the size of the fish from the first round. This new Fighter Fish had it's horns pointed directly at the three men, who were too injured to move out of its way.

When it made contact, it blew through the grate and sent the men back up in the air again. Rei saw that three more Fighting Fish were waiting right below for their prey to land.

"Twin Talons Grip!" Rei shouted as she flung her dagger chains out to the men, wrapping two in one chain and one in the other.

She swiftly swung them out of their original projectile and released them towards the entrance where they came from. They flew back into the Colosseum and away from the arena just as the first Fighting Fish crashed back into the water. Diamante turned to Rei, his eyes narrowing at her interference.

"You made your point," Rei said to him as she brought her chains in by wrapping them around her hands, "There's no need to kill them."

Diamante took a step toward her but the crowd cheers reminded him that the show must go on. He gripped his stand tightly as he placed it in the middle of the arena.

"These Fighting Fish," he yelled at the crowd, "are more savage than the ones you've seen before. They're the deadliest Fighting Fish from different schools. And one of them has the prize of its competition, the Flare Flare Fruit, on its back!"

The crowd roared in delight at this twist but Rei and the other competitors remained emotionless.

"The rules are simple," Diamante continued, "Whoever gets the fruit and remains standing in the ring will be the champion!"

The bell rang.

"The battle is on!" the announcer called.

Instantly, both Rei and Sabo ran out to the outer rings of the battlefield. Rei used the dagger in her hand to make a light cut in her thumb. She held it out and let some of the blood drip down into the water as she ran along the side.

A pair of Fighting Fish took the bait and instantly started to leap out and attack. The smell of Rei's blood enticed them to surface. A fish with the number 3 went for Rei while a fish with the number 2 went for Sabo. Rei saw that the one heading her way had nothing chained on its back.

"Not this one," Rei shouted to Sabo.

"Not mine, either!" Sabo called back.

"Talon Grip!" Rei said as she wrapped one of her chains around Number 3's horns and flung him back into the water.

Instantly, another school of Fighting Fish started to swim their way towards the center of the arena. A clash of metal startled Rei. She turned and saw that Rebecca had tried to attack Diamante.

"Rebecca!" she called out in surprise before turning to the captain of the Barto Club, "Bartolomeo! What are you doing?! You're supposed to keep her safe!"

"What kind of sword is that?" Diamante taunted at Rebecca, "It's so blunt. The ring is a place for killing. If you can't cut anybody, you'll have to shed your own blood."

_Shit_ , Rei thought as she leapt high into the air to avoid a Fighting Fish, _I can't protect her and find the Flare-Flare fruit at the same time._

Diamante ripped a gold patch from his pants and threw it up into the air. A metal club grew out from the patch and he raised it over Rebecca's head.

"Bartolomeo! I'm counting on you!" Rei yelled out to the Crest Head as she ran along the Fighting Fish's back, "Please!"

Her last word seemed to leap Bartolomeo into action and he jumped in front of Diamante, pushing Rebecca behind him unto the ground. A barrier formed in the knick of time to block the club from connecting to his skull skull. Rebecca stayed on the ground in a state of shock. Her eyes were wide and she was frozen in fear. Diamante's bloodlust seeped through the barrier.

"Seems like you have a little protector on your side," Diamante said, looking past Bartolomeo and towards Rebecca, "But I don't need to attack in order to hurt you."

He raised his chin and stared condescendingly down at Rebecca. "Do you know how your mother, Scarlet, died?"

"What?" Rebecca gasped in horror.

Diamante laughed evilly. "The Toy Soldier cried like a baby. He was so pathetic. He couldn't do anything when I killed her. Yes, I'll tell you again and again, Rebecca. The one who shot and killed your mother was me!"

"Hey!" Bartolomeo whined, "If you attack her verbally like that, my barrier won't mean a thing!"

Rei focused her mind on the Fighting Fish in front of her. She had to let Bartolomoe take care of Rebecca so she can focus on getting the Flare-Flare fruit. She took the dagger and made a deeper cut, this time on the palm of her hand. She leaned over the edge and stuck her hand straight into the water. The salt of the seawalter burned her wound but she watched as the water around her hands turned red.

"Come and get me!" she yelled at the water.

She pulled her hand out just in time as another school of Fighting Fish leapt out of the water and towards her.

"Lucy!" she shouted to Sabo.

"Ah!" Sabo called back as he ran beside her. Rei quickly scoured the backs of each. Finally, she saw one at the very back of the group with a chest chained around it's back. It was a fish with the number 1 on it.

"Lucy! In the back," Rei called out, as she jumped onto the back of one fish to kick another one back into the water, "Number 1!"

"I see it," Sabo replied as he started to run towards fish number 1.

"I won't let you have it, Straw Hat!" Diamante shouted. He finally got bored with toying with Rebecca and had turned his attention at the commotion behind him. He charged towards Sabo, blocking the revolutionary's path to the Fighter Fish. Sabo was just about to prepare for a block when sudden screams from the stands caught the attention of all the competitors.

Rei landed on the edge of the arena and looked at her surroundings. The toys in the audience had started to glow. It was as if each toy was bathed in a yellow light that wrapped around their bodies. Even the Fighting Fish seemed to be mesmerized by the light as they all stayed unmoving in the water, with their eyes just above the surface. The glow started to grow brighter and larger until it started to disperse and float up into the sky, revealing humans where the toys once stood.

_Usopp! Robin!_ , Rei thought as she slowly turned to see all the stadium around her. She took off her goggles and let them hang around her neck to get a better view of her surroundings.,  _You guys did it!_


	41. The Core and the Underground

"What in the world is going on?!" the announcer shouted in bewilderment, "The toys have turned into animals and humans!"

The crowd had erupted into chaos as the toys returned to their original human state. Wild animals and newly returned humans formed a mob to rush out of the stadium. The human audience members were also affected by the change. They were starting to remember the ones they had forgotten. Majority of the audience were all eager to reunite with their loved ones. There were a handful of people that stayed behind. Most likely people who were lucky enough never to have known someone who was turned into a toy, Rei surmised. Rei's attention, though, was not on the toys or the stadium anymore. Her eyes were fixed on Rebecca, who was sobbing loudly behind Bartolomeo.

Diamante was too preoccupied with what was happening to the audience to pay attention to Sabo or Rebecca for the time being. Rei used that opportunity to slip past him and make her way over to Rebecca. She ripped a small piece of fabric from the bottom of her shirt and used it to tie it around her cut hand to help stop the bleeding. It exposed her waist and revealed her toned lower abdominal muscles.

"Rebecca," Rei said through clenched teeth as she finished tying off her makeshift bandage with one hand, "You need to stand up. The fight isn't over yet."

"How long are you going to keep crying?" Bartolomeo asked over his shoulder to the gladiator.

"I just remember...someone I love!" Rebecca sobbed, "I have a father."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bartolomeo said in confusion.

"I can't believe it," Diamante snarled to himself, "Damn Trebol! He must've left Sugar unguarded!"

Rei sighed. Crying or not, the girl needed her help and they weren't out of the woods yet.  _Now what does Prince Ellis do when Princess Mirabelle cried?_  Rei thought. She wracked her brain and tried to remember all the times the Princess of Beffi Island had cried. There were a bunch of times to choose from.

Rei remembered how Prince Ellis had soothed the princess just by holding her hand. Granted, Mirabelle was only 12 and Rebecca was clearly older than that. However, Rei had no other solution so she reached out her hand, the one that was not cut, towards the pink haired competitor.

"Rebecca," Rei said more softly this time, "Take my hand and I'll get you to your father."

"W-W-W-What?' Rebecca hiccuped as she tried to catch her breath, "You know my father?"

"It's a long story," Rei said, "But you'll have to trust me. I'll stay with you until you find your family."

Rebecca was still not sure what to make of Raymond but she reached out and took Rei's hand. Rei helped Rebecca to her feet and she stood by her side, her hand still holding Rebecca's for comfort.

"I guess that's the plot that has been undermining this country, Rebecca," Sabo called out to them.

Rebecca gasped a little as she had forgotten about his presence for a moment. Both Rei and Rebecca turned their attention to "Lucy". Sabo was knelt in the center of the ring with both his fists on the ground.

"Things always has a core," he continued as he tapped the floor with his knuckles, "If you can strike it, you can turn any situation around."

"My great senpai," Bartolomeo complained, "Now I don't know what you're talking about."

Rei watched as Sabo continued to tap the ground below him and she understood what he was trying to do.

"The core," she said.

'Ah, even the ring has one," Sabo confirmed. Sabo looked up and he grinned at Rei. It was a grin he shared with Luffy. His fists and arms started to coat with Armament Haki and he raised them into the air. "Let's finish up this fight."

Rei immediately pulled Rebecca closer to her and wrapped her arm around Rebecca's waist. She steadied her feet on the ground and prepared for impact. "You better hold on to me," she said to Rebecca, "It's about to get a little shaky." Rebecca blushed a little as it was the first time a boy had ever held her so close to him before.

"Rei-sama," Bartolomeo gasped as he looked at the pair.  _Is he into guys or girls? Is he just one big flirt?!_

"Dragon Claw Fist," Sabo said calmly as he struck the arena. The rings started to crack around his fist and it grew until it reached the edges of the stadium.

Sudden pressure exerted through the cracks, forcing the arena to break even more. ""Dragon Breath," Sabo stated. Instantly the arena shattered into pieces with some of the pieces flung high up into the air by Sabo's Dragon Breath.

The water started to swirl around them with bits of the arena floating above. Rei and Rebecca balanced on their piece of the arena like a large surf board as they moved with the water. Rei noticed that the water level was going down and they were getting lower and lower. She looked up and saw that Sabo was standing at the core of the arena, which remained in tact.

She used the opportunity to kick herself off the ground, still holding Rebecca. She ignored Rebecca's screams. Rei easily flipped both of them in the air, as if Rebecca weighed nothing, and landed in the stands.

"I'll leave the rest to you," Rei called out to Sabo and Bartolomeo and then she turned to the announcer. "We forfeit!"

"What a shocking turn of events!" the announcer shouted, "Raymond and Rebecca have voluntarily jumped out of the arena and are disqualified from the tournament!"

"Wait! But-" Rebecca started to protest but Rei grabbed her hand again.

"Your reason for getting the Flare-Flare fruit no longer exists," Rei said softly, "Your father is out there and I'll get you to him."

Her eyes met Rebecca's and she continued. "You don't need to trust me but you should at least trust in Lucy."

Rebecca looked over at Sabo.

"The first Lucy," Rei said assertively.

Rebecca gulped and stared back at the "boy" in the green cap. It was the first time she really looked at him. He was about the same height as her, maybe just a fraction of an inch shorter, with slightly broader shoulders and toned muscles. His hand was slightly callused near the bottom of his fingers but his palm was smooth. His eyes shown with sincerity. "Listen, I am going to go free your friends," Rei said, "But I can't do it without you."

"What?" Rebecca asked, not computing what Rei was saying.

Rei grabbed Rebecca's hand and tore off into the rumbling Colosseum at full speed.

"Where are you going Rei-sama?" Bartolomeo asked, as the water started to get scarily close to him.

"Don't worry about it! Just get the fruit!" Rei shouted back at the Crest Head. She looked back at Rebecca, who was trying her hardest to follow her pace, "Rebecca, tell me the fastest way to get to the convict gladiators!"

With Rebecca's directions, they made their way through the crumbling Colosseum and back to the upper levels where the injured gladiators were imprisoned. The wounded fighters looked at the girls in surprise. "Raymond! Rebecca!" they screamed, "What are you two doing here?"

Rei gave a smile and decided to borrow a line from her captain's brother.

"I'm finding the core of the situation," she said as she knocked on the walls that bordered the cell with her knuckles.

They blinked at her as they were all dumbfounded by her statement. "What?"

When she found what she was looking for she took a deep breath and drew back her fist. She rarely used her Armament Haki on her own body so it took her some time to coat her fist enough for her to do the damage she needed to inflict. When it was ready, she turned to Rebecca.

"You might want to stand back for this," Rei said to Rebecca before turning her attention back to the wall in front of her. "Twin Talons Strike!"

Rei slammed her fist into the wall, causing it to crack from the floor to ceiling and then outwards. It kept extending until finally the whole wall came down along with the prison bars that lined the cells throughout the floor. Parts of the ceiling had fallen as well and Rei could see the sky above.

The convict gladiators continued to stare at her, shell shocked.

"Run," she said simply, "Get out of here."

"Why are you helping us?" one of the convict gladiators asked, "Are you some type of hero?"

Rei shook her head and tapped a finger to her head. "I'm a genius. With you on the streets, it's less attention Doflamingo and his executives can pay towards my own friends."

"So you're doing this for your own selfish reason?" he demanded.

Rei tilted her head as she contemplated his question. "Let's just say it's a mutually beneficial solution."

The walls around them started to collapse completely and Rei could see out into the arena again. Her and Rebecca ran into the now open cells while the convict gladiators ran in the opposite direction, toward their freedom. Rei ignored the shouts of appreciation and cries of joys as she made her way to the edge of the cell so that they could see down into the tournament completely.

Diamante seemed to have fallen into the water, which rendered his devil fruit powers useless. Bartolomeo was hanging onto the edge of the arena and was close to being in the water himself. Rei exhaled in relief as she watched Sabo eat the Flare-Flare Fruit.

"Who is he?" Rebecca asked. Her voice had returned to normal and she was now a lot calmer than before.

"Lucy's brother," Rei said as they watched Sabo jump high into the air above the Colosseum. He tore off his helmet, beard, and sunglasses, revealing his true identity to whoever was still watching, "Sabo, the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff."

He lifted a fist high up in the air. "Ace! I take over your ability!" he shouted as flames gathered around his arm. "Fire fist!"

He unleashed a giant comet-like fireball down into the center of the ring.

"He's breaking the foundation," Rei explained to Rebecca as she put her arm around her waist again, "We better get going."

"To where?" Rebecca asked.

Rei didn't respond and immediately jumped over the ledge and down to the level right below them. Rebecca screamed as it was a two story fall but Rei landed with ease on her two feet. Before Rebecca could catch her breath, Rei did it again and again until they were back in the audience section of the arena.

At this point all the spectators had fled except for the announcer and two female gladiators, who were watching in horror as the water level had gone down considerably to the point that there was barely any water left in the arena. The pieces of the arena were also starting to sink into the ground as well. Diamante and Bartolomeo were nowhere to be seen.

"The ring is disappearing," Rebecca said in shock.

"We're going to miss our ride," Rei commented as she leapt towards the center of the ring, with Rebecca in tow.

They landed on a piece of ring just to the left of the one Sabo was standing on. He grinned when he spotted the two. "Were you able to do whatever it is you wanted to do, Rei?"

"Ah," Rei said. Out of the blue, a new girl appeared. She had short orange hair and wore a red newsboy cap with golden goggles at the top of her head. She was also holding folded black clothes and a black top hat.

"Sabo!" she shouted excitedly, "I got in touch with Hack! Let's meet up with him."

"Okay," Sabo said as they fell downwards through the foundation of the Colosseum and into the darkness below.

"My name is Koala," the girl with the newsboy cap stated to Rei and Rebecca with a big smile, "And I'm part of the Revolutionary Army."

"Are you all part of the Revolutionary Army?" Rebecca asked as she looked between Sabo and Rei.

"I'm not one of them. I'm a pirate and my real name is Rei," Rei said, her eyes focused on what was below them, "Lucy is my captain and his real name is Luffy."

"Pirates?!" Rebecca cried out in alarm.

"Shh," Rei said as she closed her eyes to listen better as they continued to fall. She could hear faint chanting coming from underground.  _Am I hearing wrong or is someone chanting 'God Usopp'?_

She followed Sabo and Koala's lead as they jumped off of their platforms. With Rebecca in tow, they all landed safely on the rooftop of a low level building. When her eyes finally adjusted to the dark, she realized they were in some sort of underground city or port. This must be the Toy House. The factory must be here somewhere.

Sabo stepped into a puddle and his companion quickly pulled him away from it. "Be careful!" Koala warned, "Now that you're a devil fruit user, you'll need to avoid sea water."

"It's just a puddle," Sabo said, laughing it off.

"Come on, let's go find Hack!" she said as she ran forward and further into the city.

Rei followed suit with Rebecca behind her as Sabo shouted after them. "You're coming with us?"

"I need to find my nakama," Rei replied as she ran along, "I'm sure they're still here somewhere. Maybe your friend Hack will know where they are."

When Koala finally located Hack, Rei recognized him as the fishman from the Block B battles. His right hand was bandaged. Koala noticed it too.

"What happened to your hand?!" she asked the fishman.

He immediately hid his hands behind his back. "I...just fell down!" he exclaimed.

"Fell down? You? Really?" Koala didn't sound too convinced and Rei wasn't either.

"W-why would I have to tell a lie?" he stammered.

"I can't believe there was a space like this underground," Rebecca said in amazement. She looked around her as Sabo put on his jacket and hat that Koala was holding for him.

"How could you leave me behind like that, my great senpai?!" shouted Bartolomeo's voice in the distance.

They all turned to look at the Crest Head as he ran towards them from the far end of the alleyway.

"A man should take care of himself," Sabo stated as he put on his gloves.

"Yes, I'm a man and I can create barriers but-" Bartolomeo protested.

"Sorry, Bartolomeo," Rei interjected as she stepped forward and put two hands on his shoulders, "You did help us in a way and it was rude of us to leave you like that. I apologize."

Bartolomeo's eyes welled up in tears as he looked down at the Straw Hat pirate. "R-R-R-Rei-sama!" he wailed.

Rei sighed as the man cried in front of her. Part of her worried if he was in danger of getting dehydrated.  _Do I actually care about this guy?_  she thought in surprise. She decided to ignore that thought and turned her attention back to Sabo, who was in deep conversation with Koala and Hack, with Rebecca off to the side.

"What is the Revolutionary Army doing on the island?" Rebecca asked the blonde.

Wordlessly, Hack went over to a pile of crates that was hidden in the shadows and with a hard Fishman Karate punch, he broke the sides of one of them. When he pulled his hand back, they all could see many guns held within the crate.

"These weapons that export from this port aggravates wars around the world," Sabo explains, "We're here to stop it."

Koala pulled out a yellow notebook and started to thumb through it. "The Revolutionary Army has sent soldiers to this country many times but because they all turned into toys, we couldn't find out about this black market."

"But I guess they are manufacturing the weapons somewhere else," Sabo said as he adjusted his goggles to his head, "I wonder where that is."

Rei suddenly sensed two dark shadows looming behind them and she quickly dashed over to them.

"Twin Talon Grips," she called as she swung out her chains towards the two strangers.

"AH!" she heard two male voices cry out as they got caught.

She tugged hard and pulled her catches into the light. They were two men wearing black sweaters and puffy cream pants with spots near the bottom. They also had funny headgear. One had a grey mask with horns at the top and the other wore a hat that had brown floppy ears hanging from its side.

"Who are you?" Rei said as she kicked one of them down to ground as she held tightly onto her chains.

"Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo squealed, "I didn't even sense anybody around and yet you were able to catch them!"

"Mmmf," the man on the ground said as Rei kept her foot on his cheek, "The Donquixote Family won't let you get away with this."

"Oh, so you work for Doflamingo?" Rei said as she lifted up her foot, "Now that you spotted us, what were you planning to do? Were you planning on telling Doflamingo we were here?"

'Don't throw around Young Master's name so easily!" the other man shouted back, "You should respect the king of this island!"

With a swift kick from her other leg, she sent the man crashing hard on top of his partner in crime. "Yes," Rei said softly as she shot a quick look at Rebecca, "You should respect a king. Too bad Doflamingo isn't one."

She unwound her chains and started to wrap them around her hands. "Go tell Doflamingo what you've seen. Tell him that you saw 'Red Ghost' Rei with the Chief of Staff for the Revolutionary Army. Tell him that there's trouble ahead," she paused as she shot another look at Rebecca, who looked back at her with puzzlement, "And tell him...That we're going to give Rebecca what rightfully belongs to her."

"And what's that?" the man on the top coughed out.

"Her family and her kingdom," Rei said as she tucked her feet under the pile and sent the two men flying off into the distance.

 _Sanji would probably kick them farther,_  she mused as she watched the men's projectile,  _But then again, Sanji's kick would probably kill them on impact._

"Koala!"

Rei whirled around to see Robin walking towards the short haired girl with a grin on her face. Koala, in turn, ran into Robin's arms for a big hug. "I thought it was you! How've you been?" Robin asked.

"Good!" Koala responded happily.

Robin looked around at the group, "Sabo! Hack! You all haven't changed a bit."

Her eyes finally landed on Rei's and Rei gave a small, stiff wave. Robin bursted into laughter. "Rei! I didn't see you over there. I guess everything turned okay with the tournament?"

"R-r-r-r-r-Robin-senpai!" Bartolomeo exclaimed. The pitch of his voice went so high up that Rei couldn't tell if he was trying to breathe or talk.

Robin ignored the crest head and turned her attention back to Sabo, "Did you see Luffy?"

Sabo nodded but then he looked at the ground behind Robin, "Oh, it's the guy I saw from earlier when we were falling from the Colosseum."

Rei followed his gaze and her eyes widened when she saw a severely wounded Usopp on the ground with his arms and legs sprawled out. He was being carried by a group of Tontattas. Quickly, Rei ran to the sniper's side and propped him up by the shoulders.

"Usopp! Are you okay?!" she gasped alarmingly as she looked at the semi-conscious sniper, who had his tongue hanging out.

"He's one of our crew," Robin explained to Sabo, unfazed by Usopp's conditions, "He's Usopp."

"H-h-h-Hi. Oh..ha..ho," Usopp stammered out.

"What happened?! Did Sugar do this to him?" Rei asked Robin.

"In a way," Robin said with a small smile, "He did manage to take her down though."

Rei felt extreme pride in Usopp and gave him a light hug, even though she knew it probably hurt him a little. A little of his blood got on her shirt but she didn't care. "Usopp, you really are a great sniper."

"S-s-s-s-sniper?!" Bartolomeo called in the back, "D-D-Don't tell me he is…!"

"What is wrong with you?!" Sabo asked with a raised eyebrow.


	42. Rei's New Bounty

They seemed to have been hit with an earthquake. The ground beneath their feet had started to shake violently. The ground over their heads started to crumble as well and pieces of it fell down in large chunks. Rei held onto Usopp and moved him away from some of the falling debris while they waited for the ground to stabilize. She found a safe place on the side and knelt beside him as the Tontattas also stood quietly next to the sniper.

The whole group gasped when a large building started to rise up from the ground. It kept going higher and higher up as the earth beneath it condensed itself to push the building upwards. It didn't stop rising until it was above ground.

"Is that the factory?" Rei asked Robin. Robin was rendered speechless but she gave a little nod. Her eyes were fixated on the building.

As the dirt mound pushed up the factory, it also created somewhat of a hill. At least we can get back up now, Rei thought to herself as the ground stopped shaking.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a familiar orange, white, and black pattern running towards them along with the sounds of wooden sandals running on the floor. "Robin-dono! Dragon rider!" the samurai shouted.

"Kin'emon," Robin said with relief, "I'm glad you're okay."

Rei noticed that Kin'emon was looking at Rebecca, specifically her chest. "Oh, Kin'emon, this is Rebecca. She's a gladiator from the Colosseum that's why she's wearing that armor. You've probably never seen anything like that before in the Wado Kingdom, right?"

Rei saw that Kin'emon was getting a little red in the face and she didn't know why. Her eyes met Robin's and she tilted her head in confusion at her. Robin just giggled and motioned with her hand for Rei to let it go.  _I'll ask Zoro about it. Maybe he'll tell me_ , Rei thought to herself with a frown.

"Er...E-e-e-excuse me," Bartolomeo stammered. He took a tentative step towards Rei and Usopp. He bent forward so that he could look closer at Usopp's face, "This guy's nose...it looks like the Sniper King-senpai's…The guy who is known for shooting out the flag on the Tower of Law!"

"Yes, that's him," Robin answered, "His name is Usopp."

"The Tower of Law," Rei murmured to herself. Then she spoke out to Robin, "That's when they rescued you from CP-9, right?"

Robin nodded.

"Yes!" Bartolomeo exclaimed as he ran around, unable to contain his excitement, "Robin-senpai was moved by the action of her pirate group that turned the world against them in order to save one of their friends! Yes! Yes! Oh, yes!"

"What are you so excited about, you geek?!" Sabo snapped, "Shut your mouth!"

Now it was Robin's turn to look at Rei for answers. "He really admires our group," Rei explained as best as she could, "I don't really understand him myself but he means well and he's helped us out quite a few times. He-"

Rei stopped abruptly as she felt a shift in the air. Something dark was looming over them. She widened her Observational Haki to get a better sense. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Rei..." Robin said worriedly as she noticed the change in Rei's demeanor.

"Something's not right," Rei said as she opened her eyes and got back to her feet. She started to run for the hill that led to the top. "You guys stay back here. I'll go see what's going on above ground."

"Rei!" Robin shouted, "We shouldn't separate."

"It'll be quick!" Rei called back, "I'm faster than all of you. I'll be back in no time! Stay with Rebecca."

"Why does he keep telling people to look after me?" Rebecca asked in wonder, as she watched Rei run farther and farther away.

"Remember what he said, Rebecca," Sabo said coolly as he adjusted his gloves, "He's going to help you get to your father."

When Rei reached the top of the hill, the first thing she saw were the strings. At least, she thought they were strings. They were gleaming in the sunlight as they formed a dome over the island.  _The String String Fruit_ , she thought to herself,  _We're trapped._

She jumped out of the way just as a sharp string came down from the sky. It landed straight into the floor where Rei was standing just a second before.  _If that had gotten me...,_ she thought to herself with a gulp.

She took out one of her daggers and fused it with Armament Haki just in case the Sea Prism Stone wasn't enough. She drew in a breath and slashed through the string. It snapped in half and she gave a sigh of relief.

"Citizens and guests of Dressrosa," Doflamingo's voice suddenly rang out, "I could have reigned over you all with terror from the start."

Rei looked up and spun around her to find the source. His face began to project above the island in the sky along the string dome. The blonde dictator grinned maliciously at his citizens. "After finding out the truth, I bet a lot of you want to kill me now," Doflamingo continued, "That's why I prepared a game for you. It's a game to kill me. I'm in the palace and I won't run or hide."

 _What is he planning?,_  Rei thought, _And where is Luffy and Zoro? Is Law still with Doflamingo?_

"If you kill me, the game ends, naturally," Doflamingo said, drawing Rei's attention back on him, "But there is another way to finish the game. Here is how. You kill the people that I'm going to name now. Not only would the game end but I will also award a large prize for killing each one of them. Kill or get killed. Everyone in this country will become hunters."

The pit of Rei's stomach tightened. The last thing she wanted to face was an island filled with bounty hunters. Once in a lifetime was more than enough.

"You either come kill me," Doflamingo explained, " or side with the Donquixote Family and punish the 13 fools who rebel against me. I'll pay 100 million bellies for each star rating."

Rei watched as he flashed the list across the screen with the ratings for each target.

Rebecca the Gladiator, one star.  
'Demon Child' Nico Robin, one star.  
Foxfire Kin'emon, one star.  
Viola (the former Princess of Dressrosa), one star.  
Cyborg Franky, one star.

 _Is Viola Rebecca's aunt?_  Rei wondered.

Then she saw her face on the screen. 'Red Ghost' Rei, two stars. He had used an image from the tournament and she saw herself with the green cap and goggles.

 _Two stars?_  Rei thought with some pride as the list continued,  _What an honor._

Kyros (former Army Commander of Dressrosa), two stars.  
'Pirate Hunter' Zoro, two stars.

 _Who is Kyros?_  Rei thought to herself.

"And now the key figures from each group," Doflamingo announced with an evil chuckle, "I give them three stars each!"

Sabo, three stars.  
"Straw Hat' Luffy, three stars.  
Trafalgar Law, three stars.  
Riku Doldo III (former King of Dressrosa), three stars.

Rei's eyes widened at the announcement.  _Rebecca's grandfather! He's alive!_

"Plus, there is one man who pissed me off the most today. It's all his fault you have to play this game today," Doflamingo finished, "The one who kills him will get 500 million bellies."

"Don't tell me…" Rei started to say and then her theory were confirmed as Usopp's face flashed across the screen.

'God' Usopp, five stars.

Instantly, Rei turned to run back down the hill. She needed to get back to the group. They were all in danger. She stopped in her tracks when she realized just down below were a group of armed men.

"A two-star!" they shouted when they saw her at the top of the hill.

She positioned herself with both of her daggers out in front of her and assessed the situation below.  _Ten men. Five swords. Two maces. Three with unknown concealed weapons._ She took a deep breath and rushed forward toward the greedy mob.

"If you can defeat me," she quipped as she got closer to them, "I'll pay you 200 million bellis myself."

She made short work of the group. She dodged in front and behind all of them with ease. It helped that they were running in a cluster so that when they tried to attack her, she could easily move out of the way so that their attacks landed on someone from their group instead of her. She used her chains to bind their legs and she pulled at them hard to make a couple of them fall onto their face.

Soon it was just her and two swordsman left. She jumped a few feet back to create some space between them. Just as she was about to throw out her daggers, she heard more footsteps coming towards them.

Rei gritted her teeth.  _More attackers?_

She breathed out a small sigh of relief when she saw that it was Robin and the others. Usopp was still being carried about the Tontattas. Rebecca and Bartolomeo were also running right behind.

"Rei!" Robin called out, "Are you okay?!"

The two swordsman turned to look at Robin, exposing their backs to Rei. She took that opportunity to get behind them and wrap her chains around their arms. "Eyes on the prize, boys," she said coolly before sending them flying off into the distance.

"Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo squealed as the group closed the distance between Rei and them. They all ran past Rei and headed for the top except for Bartolomeo who stopped right in front of Rei, "You took down all these people by yourself?"

Rei looked past Bartolomeo and noticed an even bigger mob was rushing towards them. It was clear that Robin and the rest were being chased by that group. "Shouldn't you be more worried about the people coming after you?" she asked the Crest Head with a raised eyebrow.

He gave a lazy smile and turned towards the mob. He crossed his fingers with a smirk. "Barrier!"

The mob was blocked by Bartolomeo's power and the first wave in front were knocked backwards. Bartolomeo laughed as he spun around to follow Robin and the rest of the group. Rei did the same. "Don't follow us!" Bartolomeo called back towards the rest of the mob.

With Rei's speed, she got up to the front of the group and caught up with Robin in no time. "Robin, the island is-" Rei started to report but she got cut off when the sound of a transponder snail came through from Robin's pocket.

_Purupurupurupuru._

Robin pulled out the snail. It was a blue snail and one of its eyes seemed to be shut from a wound.

_Catcha._

"Zoro," Robin said coolly as she picked up the call.

"Ah," came the swordsman's voice.

Rei didn't understand why she felt the sudden need to shout and let the swordsman know she was there. She kept silent thought because she knew right now the priority was to get everyone safely away from the mob and to reunite Rebecca with her family.  _Get a grip_ , Rei, she thought to herself,  _Focus on the mission._

"Where are you now?" Robin asked while Rei stayed silent.

"Is that you, Robin?" Zoro asked, "I'm with Luffy and the others on the King's Plateau. Things are getting messy, aren't they?"

"Is this Robin?!" Luffy shouted as he grabbed the snail out of the swordsman's hand, "Isn't Mingo such a jerk? Although the bit about Usopp was pretty funny."

"What did you say, Luffy?!" Usopp shouted indignantly while Luffy laughed.

"Rebecca was also on the list," Luffy mused, "I wonder if she's alright."

"I'm here, Lucy!" Rebecca cried out. She was running behind Robin and Rei.

"Oooh!" Luffy shouted happily, "It's good that you're there. The soldier was just here."

"Soldier-san? Did he turn back to a human?" Rebecca asked excitedly, "Tell me, Lucy! What kind of man is he?"

"What are you talking about?" Luffy responded back, "That one legged soldier was your father! He's the old man the statue was of in the Colosseum!"

Rebecca started to cry and Rei immediately grabbed her hand to pull her along. They couldn't afford to lag.

"I'm happy for you, Rebecca!" Luffy said happily through the snail but then his tone got serious, "But listen to me. Don't cry! I won't let the soldier die. You have to be safe too! I promise I'll kick Doflamingo's ass for you! So stay with my friends. They'll be able to protect you. So survive, okay?!"

"Okay!" Rebecca said with as much courage as she could muster. She looked at Rei's hand that was holding hers. The first time he did that, it was mostly surprising but now she did find some comfort in it.

"Robin, Usopp, and Rei will be able to keep you safe-" Luffy started to say.

"How'd you know I'd be here with Robin, Luffy?" Rei asked in surprise.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy laughed, "You said you'd keep Rebecca safe, didn't you?"

"Rebecca's father," Rei asked, "Is that Kyros? The man worth two stars?"

"Yah," Luffy said, "He was just here too! I wonder where he went…"

"Luffy, who are you with now?" Robin asked as her group was close to the top of the hill.

"I'm with Zoro and Tra-guy and…" Luffy's voice trailed off as he realized he didn't know the names of the others he was with.

"Riku Doldo the third, and I'm Viola," came a woman's voice.

"King Riku-sama!" the Tontattas beneath Usopp cried out.

"Okay, so there are five of you," Robin said, "On my side, we have-"

She was about to say Sabo, Hack, and Koala but the three had suddenly jumped off of the hill and disappeared back into the underground. Typical, she thought to herself before returning back to the snail, "We have Usopp, Rebecca, Bartolomeo, Rei, and myself along with the Tontattas. We're going to make our way to the King's Plateau."

Rei nodded at Robin in support of her plan.

"You guys just come here," Luffy said, "We'll go find Mingo and kick his ass!"

"Roger that," Robin said. She held the snail towards Rei and gave her a questioning look but Rei shook her head. Everything that needed to be said had already been stated.

_Catcha._

"Rei," Robin asked as she put the snail back into her pocket, "You didn't want to say anything more to Zoro?"

Bartolomeo's ears perked up.  _So there_  is _something going on between Zoro-senpai and Rei-sama?!_

"We promised that we'll see each other again alive," Rei said, looking straight ahead, "And I know he's a man of his word. Talking to him now would seem like I was doubting his abilities, don't you think?"

"AHHHH SUCH TRUST AND FAITH!" Bartolomeo squealed from behind them.

Robin hid a smile as they ran out into the open air. She was sure the swordsman was thinking the exact same thing as Rei. It was about time the two were on the same page.


	43. the King's Plateau

Rei returned to the audience stands of the Colosseum along with Robin, Usopp, Rebecca, Bartolomeo, and the Tontattas, who carried the sniper. Usopp was still too wounded to walk but his voice had returned to normal. They were at the very top of the stands and headed towards the outer wall where the base of the King's Plateau stood. Because of the geographic shift from the earlier earthquake, the King's Plateau and the Colosseum were pushed up next to each other.

The group were still being chased by a mob but at least the numbers had dwindled thanks to the combined efforts of Bartolomeo, Rei, and Robin.

"Leave me alone," Usopp wailed from his lying position.

"Usoland is a man of 500 million bellis! Everybody wants them!" one of the Tontattas said proudly.

"That's our hero!" another one chimed in.

"That's not something to be proud of!" Usopp exclaimed. He then gave a heavy sigh. "But I have to accept it. Nobody can help chasing a man like me."

"So cool!" the Tontattas cried out in awe as they gave a round of applause to the Sniper King. By doing so, they had to release their hands and he fell with a thud onto the ground.

"You guys…" he whimpered in pain.

"Stop fooling around!" Robin lectured.

"Robin-san," Rebecca asked as she ran between Robin and Rei, "How can we get to the King's Plateau?"

Rei looked up at their destination. It was high above them and was not something they could easily get to. Even standing at the top of the Colosseum, they reached mid-way up the base. There was still two stories of stone to get past. "We'll need to climb," Rei said to Robin.

The shouts of the men behind them were getting louder and louder. "They are increasing in numbers!" Bartolomeo reported from the back.

Immediately Rei skidded to a halt and turned to face the mob, while Robin and Rebecca kept running forward. "Rei!" Robin called back.

"Keep going. I'll hold them off," Rei said as she gripped her chains.

"200 million bellis!" one of the men shouted in delight as they charged towards Rei.

"Twin Talons Spear!" Rei called as she shot the daggers forward together. The daggers flew in a twirling path which caused her chains to wind together, creating one large chain. As it shot out, it pierced through the center of the mob and knocked everyone to the side and back. Some even fell over the edge of the Colosseum and down the hole Sabo had created. "Money grabbing idiots," she muttered as she pulled her chains back towards her and ran to catch up with her friends.

Up ahead, another group of attackers were trying to get to Rebecca and Robin from above.

"Rebecca! You go ahead!" Robin said as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Before Rebecca could protest, however, a barrier formed right in front of her and Robin, stopping the men from getting to them. Bartolomeo laughed behind them.

"Bartolomeo!" Robin gasped in surprise.

Immediately, hearts came into his eyes and he blushed furiously. "I'm thrilled to hear Robin-senpai call my name!" He wriggled around with a mix of embarrassment and excitement as he cooed at Robin. "I-I'm gonna hold the enemies back here so please go ahead with Sniper King-senpai and Rei-sama!"

"Thank you," Robin said they ran past him.

"Oh! Wow!" Bartolomeo shouted aghast, "Robin-senpai thanked me! I'm all fired up now! I'm not gonna let anyone go after them!"

When they reached the edge of the Colosseum, the Tontatta's looked high up to get a better look at the King's Plateau. "How are we going to get all the way up there?" they squeaked.

Robin crossed her arms again in front of her. "Cien Fleurs!" Robin shouted, "Spider Net!"

A net, made of Robin's arms gripping each other, grew along the sides of the plateau. It stretched from the them edge of the Colosseum up to the top of the King's Plateau.

"Bartolomeo! Raymond! We can climb up from here!" Rebecca called over.

"Rei, my name is Rei," Rei corrected as she ran past Bartolomeo, who still had his fingers crossed. His back faced Robin and Rebecca so that he could keep his eyes out for the rest of their attackers. Rei knelt down to where Usopp was lying and lifted him up. She used one of her chains to lock Usopp to her back.

"Reiland," the Tontatta's protested as she did so, "We can carry him! It's fine!"

"You've done enough," Rei said as she shifted Usopp's weight to balance herself out, "I can take him up from here. You guys just focus on getting to the top."

"Rei," Usopp protested, "It doesn't look good for my manhood if I'm carried by a-"

"Manhood?," Rei interrupted the sniper as she gave a small smile, "I thought you were a god?"

"Are you going to transport me with your Linked Haki?" Usopp asked.

Rei shook her head, "I can only go to places I can see in my mind. If I can't picture it clearly in my head, I can't move there. If I move to the King's Plateau, we might risk falling off the edge."

"There's the criminal!" three men interrupted as they made their way to Rebecca.

Rei was about to throw her dagger chain towards them when a dark shadow loomed over them.

They were knocked down by a man holding an iron maiden. The spiked iron ball at the end of his weapon hit them hard on the side and sent them flying into the distance. "Rebecca-sama!" her savior said, "I, Tank, will guard you with my life!"

"Oh! That's Captain Tank!"

Rei looked up at the source of this new voice. It was the former king of Dressrosa. Rei recognized him from the picture on Doflamingo's projection.

"Grandfather-sama!" Rebecca called out in relief.

"Rebecca," Rei said as she followed Robin and started to climb up the spider net, "Let's go."

They all started to climb up Robin's spider net with Bartolomeo at the rear. He did it with glee as he was so thrilled just to be able to touch Robin's arms. "So soft!" he cried in delight.

When the whole group got to the middle of the net, the ground started to shake violently again and the net started to sway. Two of the Tontatta's lost their grip and Rei caught them both with one hand.

"See? If they carried you, you would've fallen by now," Rei said to Usopp. She casually placed the Tontatta's safely onto Robin's arms.

"Thank you," Usopp sighed, "But what caused this big shake? Do you think it's what caused it before?"

"It has to be," Rei said as she took the opportunity to look over the island, "To cause a geographical shift and to just rearrange an island like this…"

"Is it a devil fruit user?" Robin asked from above.

"Most likely the Stone-Stone fruit. It allows the users to assimilate to any rock he comes into contact with, which includes buildings," Rei said as she continued to survey the island, "And judging by what I see, most of these buildings are made of stone."

"Oy," Usopp hissed, "Keep climbing! We don't have time to look around!"

Rei snapped to attention and continued to climb up. "Right. Thanks, Usopp." Small beads of sweat were forming under her cap. Even though it was a small climb, the weight of Usopp and the weight of the Sea Prism Stone chains were taking a toll on her. She gritted her teeth and pushed on.

"Such teamwork!" Bartolomeo gushed from below, "I feel like I'm in a dream! I get to watch my senpai's in action while being helped by Robin-senpai herself!"

Rei looked down at the Crest Head and was surprised to see rainbows forming from the trails of tears coming from his eyes. What a weird skill he has, she thought to herself.

"I'm going to climb up to this top gracefully! I'm so motivated now!" Bartolomeo continued to shout. Out of the blue, he raced up the net in a blur.

Rei watched the Crest Head in amusement. He triggered the inner competitor within Rei. "I can't lose to him," she said as she raced up the net as well, past Robin and Rebecca.

"No one is trying to compete with you!" Usopp lectured from the back as they flew up the net, "You're going to make me motion sick!"

"Nice! So nice!" Bartolomeo squealed. His hands and feet rotated like extreme windmills as he scrambled up the net with fervor, "And to think, when I get to the top, I'll be able to see Zoro-senpai and Luffy-senpai!"

Rei couldn't hear him as she had already burst past him with her amazing speed. She was like a rocket and Usopp was her begrudging passenger. A scream from below was the only thing that stopped her from climbing the last part of the net to get to the top.

Both her and Usopp looked down to see that a sword had shot upwards, grazing Rebecca's hair. Their pursuers were closing in on them and making their way up the net as well. "We gotta kill all the criminals!" they shouted.

"Everybody hurry up! They're coming!" Rebecca shouted.

"I see a lot of criminals! Totalling 900 million bellis!" one of them cried out with joy. He was right behind Rebecca and he was able to reach out to grab her leg.

 _Shit!_  Rei thought to herself,  _I got too caught up in the moment and forgot about what I'm supposed to be doing_. "Robin!" she shouted down to her nakama.

"Ah!" Robin said as wrapped her leg around her net to get a solid foothold and crossed her arms, "SLAP!"

Five arms sprouted out of the man's body and slapped him furiously. It caused him to lose his hold on both Rebecca and the net. He fell back down to the Colosseum.

"I'm not going to let you harm that girl!" Robin declared as she glared down at the attackers.

"Strong and beautiful!" Bartolomeo cheered.

Rei took the last step and hopped up on top of the King's Plateau. She hurriedly unwrapped the chain around her waist. Usopp fell back onto the ground with a thud.

"Oy!" he complained but Rei ignored him. She kept her gaze down below as she drew out her other dagger chain.

"Twin Talons Grip!" she cried as she threw them down and wrapped them around Robin and Rebecca's waists. She steadied her feet on the ground and then kicked backwards with all her might, pulling the two girls up to the top. They missed the oncoming spears and swords by a hair. Bartolomeo and the Tontatta's scrambled up to the top just in time as well.

The Sea Prism Stone chain around Robin made her feel weak. "Rei, the net…" she said faintly.

"We're done with it anyways. Time to put it away," Rei stated as she watched Robin's arms disappear from below. Their attackers, who were still hanging onto the net, were surprised as their footholds had vanished instantly and they tumbled back down.

"Sorry," Rei said to Robin as she gently unwrapped the chain around her and then she did the same for Rebecca, "Did I hurt you?"

Robin shook her head. "It's fine. You had to get us up. Plus, I was going to get rid of the net anyways."

Rei nodded and then fell backwards onto the grass with her arms spread out. She was exhausted. "We made it," she said softly as she turned her head to look at Usopp who was lying just next to her.

"Luffy-senpai's not here!" Bartolomeo complained as he ran around the edge of the plateau, looking for the rubber man.

"Of course," Robin said with a smile.

"What do you mean of course?!" Bartolomeo whined.

"Luffy wouldn't stay in the same place even for five minutes," Usopp stated from the ground.

Rei expected Bartolomeo to react with disappointment but instead his eyes sparkled and he seemed delighted with Usopp's answer. "Oh! Freedom!" he cried in awe, "That's how the King of Pirates should be!"

"Hey, Usopp?" Rei asked quietly.

"No, Rei," Usopp replied back, "That guy is not normal. He doesn't follow any social protocols. I'm just as confused as you are."

Rei sat back up and she rummaged in her utility belt. She pulled out a couple of small bandages, a small vial, and tore a small part of her right sleeve. She opened up the vial, poured some of its liquid onto the fabric, and started to clean Usopp's face with it.

"This is going to sting a little. It's going to sanitize your wounds," Rei said apologetically as Usopp winced while she wiped. "I got some basic supplies from Doctor Reindeer while we were on the ship. Thought it would come in handy."

"What else do you have in your utility belt?" Robin mused as she watched Rei put the bandages across Usopp's cuts.

"Whatever else I think I'll need," Rei said with a shrug. She then turned to the Tontattas who were standing around their hero, Usoland. "Anybody else have cuts they need me to bandage?"

Suddenly, one of the Tontatta's called out from under the grass. He had wandered off away from the rest of his people. "What is that stone monster, King Riku-sama?!"

They all turned to look at the small Tontatta. He wore a green paper crown and had curly light brown hair that fell right above his shoulders. He was staring up ahead where a large stone headless statue loomed over them.

The magnitude of the statue was even bigger than an average sized Elbaf giant. It had its fist balled up, midair ready to strike. Behind it stood four large plateaus, stacked up like a tiered cake. On the fourth tier, the words "Flower Hill" were etched on the side and the top was covered in yellow flowers. That was also where the palace was relocated to.

"Stone-Stone fruit," Rei said softly. Robin and Usopp nodded to show her that they agreed with her guess.

"I found it!" a woman's voice shouted victoriously behind them.

They turned to see a woman with long brown hair and a red flower pinned to the side of her head. She had the largest brown eyes Rei had ever seen. She had a red cloak wrapped around her shoulders that hung over her white dress with purple polka dots on it. She was holding up a gold key with a red heart at the end. Rei recognized her as Viola from Doflamingo's game announcement.

"Viola-san!" Rebecca shouted as she ran towards her aunt. She flung her arms around Viola and gave her a very relieved hug. Viola laughed while the Tontatta's cheered.

"Viola!" King Riku called out to his daughter.

Viola, still hugging Rebecca with her free hand, held up a key in her other hand to show her father. "I found it, Father-sama. The key to Trafalgar Law's handcuffs. I finally found it with my Clairvoyance."

"Clairvoyance?!" Rei exclaimed. She immediately jumped up to her feet and ran up to Viola, "Don't tell me...You ate the Glare-Glare fruit?!"

Viola smiled at Rei, indicating that she already knew who she was. "Yes," she said with a nod, "I've been watching all of you since you stepped onto this island."

"Please can you show me everything?" Rei asked as Robin and Usopp exchanged a look of curiosity, "I need to know exactly what is going on."

"What is going on?!" Usopp asked exasperatedly.

"The Glare-Glare fruit," Rei answered without taking her eyes off of Viola, "allows the user to see through everything. They can see long distances ahead and also into people's minds. If she lets me, I can see where Luffy and the others are."

"Would you also be able to see Nami and the others too?" Robin asked.

Viola shook her head but Rei answered for her, "Her power only goes for a 4000 km radius. At this point, Sanji and the others might have sailed past that already."

Viola blinked in surprise. "I'm a genius," Rei explained, "You are more than welcome to look into my mind."

"That's not necessary," Viola said, "But I will show you all that has happened while you were in the Colosseum.

"Please," Rei said with a nod.

"Wait, Viola!" King Riku interjected, "Why are they so important to you? They're pirates!"

Rebecca dropped her hold on her aunt. All three women turned to look at King Riku. "Yes, they're unlawful men," Viola said solemnly, "And they will break this country's deceptive peace! Father-sama, I've decided to trust them. To trust in the Straw Hat Pirates."

Rei remained expressionless but she looked over at Robin. Robin had on her usual knowing smile and she gave Rei a little wink.

"The World Government," Viola continued, "Gave Doflamingo the title of Warlord and that pirate reigned over this country with terror! It has caused us so much pain. After all these years, I don't want the help of the Navy, that was supposed to be supporting justice, or the help of the Government. They have done nothing! They couldn't hear. They didn't notice the voices of the people who fell victim because of them. The angry voices of this country."

She took a breath but she was far from done. "People in authority often only hear what they want to. At least the words of the Straw Hats are humane and they take action out of the goodness of their hearts."

"King Riku-sama! King Riku-sama!" came the voices of the Tontattas.

The humans looked down at the Little People and saw that they had moved Usopp over closer to the king. "Please take a look at him!" the Tontatta with the green crown shouted up.

"You're the five star man, aren't you?" King Riku asked the sniper.

Usopp tried his best to look as dignified as he could with bandages around his face and still in a lying position.

"His name is Usoland, also known as God Usopp!" the Tontatta shouted with a mix of pride and awe, "This man risked his life and broke the spell of toys that had been overshadowing this country for a decade! He's our hero!"

Usopp raised his arm shakily to wave a victory sign while the Tontattas around him started chanting his name. "Usoland! Usoland! Usoland!"

Beads of sweat started to pour down Usopp's face as he struggled to hold up his pose. Don't push it, Usopp, Rei thought to herself.

"We were moved by his bravery! Really really really touched!" the green crown Tontatta said, "He's a superhero!"

He marched over to the foot of the king. "And Luffyland is the superhero's captain!"

The king gently laid down the palm of his hand and the Tontatta dutifully jumped on. The king lifted the Tontatta so they were both eye level to each other. "King Riku-sama," he pleaded, "The Straw Hats, also known as the Usolanders, are Dressrosa's hope!"

Rei raised an eyebrow at the last statement. Usolanders, what a terrible name.

"Even though they're pirates, we're going to trust them to the end!" the Tontatta shouted out in determination.

"This is great!" Bartolomeo howled on the sidelines, "Its the Straw Hats' unforgettable moving scene! How lucky am I to be here!"

King Riku's silence seemed to indicate that Viola and the Tontattas words had swayed him. Rebecca took notice of it too and immediately turned back to her aunt. "Viola-san," she asked, "Can I go deliver the key to Lucy?"

"Rebecca!" Viola said in surprise.

"I can't just sit here and wait. Let me do it!" Rebecca pleaded.

"Alright! Let's do it! Let's go see Luffy-senpai!" Bartolomeo shouted in support, "I'm coming with you, of course. Count on me!"

"Rebecca!" Viola lectured, "You're a criminal in Doflamingo's game. If you go down to the town, they won't leave you alone!"

"I'll go with her," Rei said, "Bartolomeo and I will keep her safe."

"AHHHH, Rei-sama included me in his plans!" Bartolomeo squealed.

"His?" Robin murmured to herself as she stifled a giggle.

Viola gave a sigh of relentment and smiled at her niece, "Alright. Just be careful."

Rebecca smiled appreciatively and nodded.

"Before that," Rei said, as she looked solemnly at the Glare-Glare fruit user, "Please show me what has happened and what is going on."

Viola nodded. She formed two circles with her index fingers and thumbs and held it over her eyes. "I'll let you see what has happened," she said as she moved closer to Rei's face so that Rei could stare into her eyes.


	44. Airborne

Through Viola's devil fruit powers, Rei was able to see everything that she had missed while being inside the Colosseum. She saw everything from Giolla's god awful transformation of the Thousand Sunny to the unsuccessful Caesar's handover plan. She witnessed Zoro going up against the Stone-Stone fruit user within the castle as if she was standing right behind him. She also saw the transformation of the Toy Soldier back into his human form and how he had swiftly beheaded Doflamingo's string clone. Most importantly, she saw all the executives and their fighting skills. We're going to have our work cut out for us, she thought with a frown.

Then, Rei unexpectedly found herself watching Viola's past during the nightmarish time in Dressrosa, when Doflamingo took over by manipulating King Riku to slaughter his own citizens. Suddenly, the scene changed to the death of Scarlet, Rebecca's mother. Rei jerked back instinctively, breaking the connection. The memory had triggered the image of her own mother's death, which caught Rei by surprise.

"Rei?" Robin asked worriedly.

Rei raised a hand up to let Robin know she was okay. "I think I've seen enough," she said softly. She needed a minute to get her focus back. Her heart felt like somebody had squeezed it.

"A-A-Are you okay?" Viola asked, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to overwhelm you."

Rei shook her head at the former princess. "No. Please don't apologize. I should be thanking you," she said sincerely, "I know it was hard for you to re-live that pain but I do appreciate you letting me see everything. It was very helpful."

"I can show you where your captain is and the rest of your crew," Viola said as she started to reach her encircled thumb and index fingers towards Rei again.

"We can't waste anymore time," Rei answered as she pushed Viola's hands away, "And with what Luffy told us earlier, I have a good idea of what is going on."

She looked up at the palace. The gears in her mind started to turn. This was not the time for her to get emotional.

"Luffy has a one track mind," she said mostly to herself, "He's going to go after Doflamingo no matter what it takes...And Viola has the key to Law's handcuffs. Law won't stand a chance against Doflamingo with that thing still on him and he'd be a liability to Luffy if he can't fight. Getting the key to Luffy and Law should be our first priority and our best chance to meet up with them is to head for the palace."

She then turned to look at the factory and she frowned a little before redirecting her gaze to the Little People at her feet. "I believe our friend, Fraland, will be at the factory if he isn't there already. He is going to free your friends so he might need your help."

The group of Tontattas nodded back at her. The Tontatta in the green crown stepped forward and he was followed by his chubbier friend with a yellow beetle headgear and a slimmer, slightly taller Tontatta with a cream hat. "Cub-san and I will help you get to the palace," the Tontatta in the green crown said.

The yellow beetle Tontatta nodded indicating he was Cub-san. "Inhel and his team will help Fraland with the factory," the Tontatta in the green crown continued.

The Tontatta with the cream hat smiled and gave a thumbs up sign. "According to our scouting unit, Fraland is fighting Senor Pink at the entrance to the factory. We'll lend him our support."

Rei squatted down and looked at the one with the green crown. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to ask this before. What is your name?"

"I'm Leo!" he said proudly as he held up a long sharp needle in his hand, "I ate the Stitch Stitch fruit so I can sew anything!"

"A devil fruit user?!" Rei said in surprise as she lifted him up to see him better. "How interesting."

She examined him for a few more seconds and then placed him back down on the floor. Then she turned her attention back to the palace and the four tiers below it. "There are some executives guarding the tiers that lead up to the palace. They're not the top executives but they won't be easy to take down. We are limited on time so if we can get to the palace and avoid them, that would be best." she thought outloud, "Usopp is not in fighting condition so he should stay here on the King's Plateau. Also, with such a high bounty on his head, the less we move him around the better."

"We?" Usopp asked from behind.

"Robin, me, Bartolomeo, Rebecca, and the Tontattas," Rei responded without taking her eyes off of the palace, "Since Rebecca is adamant to bring the key to Luffy, we'll need someone to go and protect her and there should be at least two others in case we run into the executives."

"It sounds like a plan," Robin said as she placed a hand on Rei's shoulder.

Her gentle touch broke Rei from her concentration and Rei realized she was ordering her crewmembers around as if she was their commander instead of their peer. Her face grew red as she realized her oversight. "I'm so sorry. I guess my habits from my commander days have not gone away. Are you guys okay with following my plan?"

Robin burst into laughter. "Rei, you don't ever need to ask us for permission. You are the genius after all. Besides, I agree with your reasoning. It makes sense."

Rei breathed a sigh of relief while Usopp stuck out a thumbs up sign in support. "For now, we need to consider the King's Plateau as basecamp," Rei said to Usopp, "Take Robin's transponder snail so if Luffy or Zoro call again, you can be his eyes."

"Actually, I have a transponder snail" Viola interrupted as she took out a small pink one from under her cloak to show Rei, "So please keep yours with you so we can reach you if needed."

"Oh, what a glorious day!" Bartolomeo exclaimed. He danced around Rei, spoiling the serious mood. "I can't believe I'm witnessing Rei-sama's strategizing skills!"

Rei ignored the Crest Head and walked up to King Riku, another person's feeling she realized she had neglected to consider. She knelt to the ground and bowed her head to the king. "As the former Royal Tactician of Beffi Island and on behalf of King Tannenbay and the Beffi Army, I sincerely apologize for not helping your country in your time of need."

King Riku's eyes widened and he was taken aback by Rei's gesture but she was not done yet. "Please trust in me and Robin to protect your granddaughter and trust in our captain to bring Doflamingo down. Please trust Luffy to put an end to country's pain." The Tontattas cheered in support.

King Riku stared at the pirate who knelt before him.  _Pirates...,_  he thought,  _Straw Hat Luffy...What a strange man. Everyone finds hope in the Straw Hats without them even realizing._  "Please get up," King Riku said to Rei.

Rei did not budge. "Not until you agree to trust in us."

"Do you also order King Tannenbay around as well?" King Riku mused.

"I don't give orders to kings. Just suggestions," Rei answered. She still did not move her head from the ground, "But I'm a genius so my logic is sound."

King Riku raised his eyebrow at the pirate's statement.  _So this is your famous tactician, King Tannenbay._  "Who am I to argue with you?" King Riku sighed, "Go. Let me see what you pirates are capable of."

Rei stood back up and gave one final nod of respect to the king. "Thank you," she said.

"We can take you using the rooftops!" Leo shouted excitedly at Rebecca.

"The rooftops?" Viola asked in surprise but Leo had turned his attention elsewhere.

"Everybody!" Leo shouted to his fellow Tontattas, "We don't have much time. I'll see you all again here at King's Plateau! Let's go now!"

"Yeah!" the Tontattas cheered again.

Rei headed back to rejoin Rebecca and Bartolomeo. "What an energetic group."

"Okay," Robin said as she pulled it out of her pocket, "Let's call Luffy now and tell them our plan."

_Purupurupurupuru. Purupurupurupuru._

_Catcha._

"Hello! This is Luffy. I'm going to be the King of Pirates!" came the familiar sign-in from their captain. They could hear the sound of running footsteps and Rei could've sworn she heard hooves as well.

"Luffy! It's me!" Robin said into the snail.

"Robin!" Luffy shouted in excitement.

"We're currently at the plateau that I think you and Zoro just left from. Where are you?" Robin asked.

"Umm," Luffy thought about it for a minute, "Right now we're on the 1st level of the other plateau but we're heading for the place they call the Sunflower Fields!"

Robin turned to Rei and handed her the transponder snail. "You were right."

"Luffy," Rei said into the snail, "This is Rei. Former Princess Viola-sama found the keys for Law's handcuffs."

 _Rei, you don't need to use formalities,_  Usopp thought with a sweat drop.

"WHAT?!" they heard Law's voice shout over the snail, "Rei-ya! Hand 'em over! How can we get them from you?"

"Greetings and salutations!" Leo interrupted as he jumped on Rei's shoulder, "This is Leo from the Tontatta Tribe. We're going to escort with Rebecca-sama, Reiland, Robinland, and the Chicken-Human there at a super high speed."

"Chicken-human?!" Bartolomeo sputtered indignantly.

"We'll meet you at the Sunflower Fields," Robin said.

"How will you guys catch up to us?" Luffy asked.

"I'll explain later! See you at the Sunflower Fields!" Leo shouted excitedly.

"Shi-shi-shi-shi," Luffy laughed, "I told you things would work out."

Rei could tell the last statement was for the Heart Pirate but she responded anyways. "Luffy, Usopp will have a transponder snail with him and he'll be staying on the platform. Former Princess Viola-sama is with them so she'll be able to keep her eyes on all of us. Robin will also have her transponder snail so call either of them if you run into any trouble. Otherwise, Robin and I will meet you at the Sunflower Fields with Rebecca and Bartolomeo."

"Yosh!" her captain said in support.

_Catcha._

Rei hung up but she stared at the snail for a brief moment. Part of her wished that Zoro was still with Luffy, which made her feel silly. Viola had shown her that he was in the middle of battling the Stone-Stone fruit user and she knew Zoro would be able to handle himself. Logically it made sense so why was she feeling so uneasy?

She shook her head and pushed her feelings to the back of her mind. "So you said we were going to use the rooftops to get up to the Sunflower Fields?" she asked Leo.

"Yes!" Leo said as he leapt off of Rei's shoulder and ran towards his friend with the yellow beetle hat, "Cub-san! Please show them."

Cub nodded and shouted into the air, "Come on, Tontatta Airlines! Yellow Cubs!"

Everyone looked up into the sky to see what he was shouting at but there seemed to be nothing. After a few seconds, they heard some soft buzzing and a small black cloud flying towards them. To the large human's horror, they realized that it was a swarm of tiny yellow stag beetles.

"Keep going! Keep going!" Cub said as he directed them to land safely onto the plateau, "Thank you for your service."

"You must be joking!" Bartolomeo protested at the small group of bugs at their feet.

"We'd like you four to board these Yellow Cubs," Leo said to Rebecca, Rei, Bartolomeo, and Robin.

"Are you serious?" Rebecca asked incredulously.

Rebecca, Robin, and Bartolomeo instinctively took a step back as their face clouded with doubt and worry. Rei, on the other hand, knelt down to the ground to get a closer look at the beetles. She noticed that each of them had wires tied around them. They were tied in eight different groups and had loose wires hanging out from them as well. She picked up the wires to examine them and was surprised to find that the wires were strong and sturdy.

"Ah! Yes, Reiland!" Cub said delightedly as he took some of the wires from her hand and gave two each to Robin, Bartolomeo, and Rebecca, "You have the right idea. Please hold onto these tightly. One for each of your hand."

"There's no way humans can fly on those beetles!" Bartolomeo exclaimed from behind her.

"No, they cannot!" Leo agreed with confidence, "Big people are heavy so they cannot fly on it."

"What kind of tone is that?!" Bartolomeo wailed.

"This is the Tal Jumping Service," Leo said.

"That doesn't explain anything!" Bartolomeo shouted.

"I see," Rei said as she got to her feet and walked to the edge of the plateau. She turned to Rebecca and Bartolomeo. "Come on, we don't have much time," she said before jumping off the edge.

"WHAT?!" Bartolomeo, Rebecca, Robin, and Usopp shouted after Rei.

"We are running out of time so please just follow Reiland and I'll explain while we take off!" Leo shouted as he gave the rest of the group a big push over the edge using his extraordinary strength.

"Kyahhhhhhh!" Rebecca and Bartolomeo screamed as they fell down over. Leo leapt up and landed on Rebecca's shoulder before she could fall out of reach.

"Damn, Little People!" Bartolomeo cursed, "I"ll pay you back for this."

"Rei!" Robin called from below as she spotted Rei under her feet, "What is going on?"

"Leo was right. We can't fly," Rei shouted back up. "But these beetles can slow our fall! Yellow Cub Beetles have one of the strongest wing strengths among insects."

"That's right!" Leo called down, "Head for a rooftop and land on it smoothly."

Rei looked down and saw that she was approaching a flat rooftop. She braced her feet and ran along it as soon as she touched the ground.

"Now kick off!" Leo instructed when Rei got to the ledge. She jumped up and felt herself get pulled higher and higher by the beetles.

Rei looked up at the stag beetles that were holding her up. They flew in circles, rotating like fans, which allowed them to float and lift up from the ground. The group leapt from roof to roof and hovered over the island. Well, I did want to tour the island, Rei thought with a small smile.

"Whoa! I feel like a balloon!" Bartolomeo cried in delight as he kicked off of his first rooftop, "Whee!"

"Be careful of attacks from below," Leo warned the group.

Rei looked ahead and realized they were getting closer to the headless statue that loomed over the King's Plateau."Guys, if we head for the statue and use it's body to leap over it, we would be able to reach the Sunflower Field!" she shouted.

"Understood!" Robin called back.

"Roger that!" Rebecca added.

Suddenly, gunshots were fired from the streets and Rei swung her body to the side to avoid the bullets. "Robin! Rebecca!" she called back.

"We're okay!" Robin said.

"You bastards! What are you going to do if you hurt Robin-senpai?!" Bartolomeo yelled angrily. "Don't worry, I'm going to put a barrier up now!"

"Can you cross your fingers?!" Rei asked.

"Oh no! I can't!" Bartolomeo wailed.

"I can't reach for my weapons like this either," Rei said, "Is there any other attacks you can do?"

"When it comes to this, I'm going to do the same thing I did in the Colosseum!" Bartolomeo declared as he started to wiggle around.

He was behind Rei so she wasn't sure what he was talking about until she heard the small scream from Rebecca. She turned to see the exposed private parts of the Crest Head as he had wriggled his pants loose and it hung around his ankles.

"What are you doing?!" Rei demanded as the people below them ran away in fright.

"Hmph! What a bunch of cowards," Bartolomeo shouted, "Rei-sama! You should do it too in case we get attacked from different sides."

"Rei, no!" Robin immediately exclaimed before Rei could even consider it, "And Bartolomeo, don't you ever, EVER, suggest a thing like that again."

Rei blinked back at Robin. "I wasn't going to. My pants are clipped in by my utility belt. I wouldn't be able to get it off."

"That's not what I meant," Robin said softly but her voice got lost in the wind.


	45. Crashlanding

Bartolomeo's unsavory tactic seemed to do the trick and the group made their way through the town without any interruptions. They were near the base of the gigantic statue now and had started to make their way up and towards the Royal Plateau. The statue's left hand was lodged solidly into the grown, which is what they used as a launching platform. They bounded up its arm and towards its shoulder.

Even without the sneak peak Viola had given her, Rei knew what lied ahead just by feeling the strong mix of powerful Haki users with her own Observational Haki.

"Robin," she said solemnly, "We may have to split up later."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"I can sense the executives up ahead. There's a lot of them along the third plateau. It's unlikely we'll be able to avoid them all. We can't fight while hanging onto these Yellow Cubs. Crest Head can't make a barrier like this so we're sitting ducks if they decide to attack us. When they do…"

"We can't lose sight of our goal. We're not here to fight them," Robin replied, "The priority is for us to get the keys to Law and Luffy."

"And to keep Rebecca safe," Rei added.

Rebecca was startled at the mention of her name. "No, I'm not a priority at all! If we have to fight, I'll fight."

"I asked your grandfather to trust us to keep you safe," Rei said, "I've never failed a king before and I don't intend to start now. Robin, when the time comes-"

" _IF_  the time comes," Robin corrected, "There's still a chance we can get to the palace without fighting."

"If the time comes," Rei conceded, "and we have to split up, you stay with Rebecca. Bartolomeo and I will hold them off."

"AHHH! I'm part of Rei-sama's plan!" cried the elated Bartolomeo.

"Back-up plan," Robin said, "and only if necessary."

Rei said nothing while they continued through the air. She was slightly ahead of everyone else so she was the first one to hear the sounds of clashing swords and see the clouds of dust exploding towards the upper arm of the statue.  _Zoro!_  she thought to herself as she leapt up and over the area for a better look.

"Oy! Know it All! Robin! What the hell are you two doing up there?!"

"Yes, we're definitely not going to get past undetected," Rei murmured to herself.

"Zoro!" Robin replied in surprise at the swordsman.

"Zo-Zoro-senpai!" Bartolomeo exclaimed, "Oh! Do you remember you promised me your autograph?!"

Zoro looked up at the Crest Head and found himself staring straight into the man's bare crotch. The profanity that rang out of the swordsman's mouth echoed throughout the entire island. "Why the hell is his pants down?!" he demanded at Rei.

"We were getting attacked from below and he took off his pants to scare them away," Rei stated.

"That's the best plan you could come up with?!" Zoro shouted incredulously.

"Why do you think that was my idea?!"

He didn't answer as he started to assess her condition. He noticed that her shirt seems to be torn and missing a bottom. Some of her sleeve was gone too.  _What the hell has she been up to?!_

His eyes then moved to her face and thats when he noticed that her expression had changed from perplexed and puzzled to solemn and serious. Her attention was also no longer on him. He turned around to see his opponent's stone face glaring and looming over him. It's face was at the end of an arching stone tentacle that he had made from the statue. His opponent's attention was also not on the green-haired Straw Hat pirate.

"Rebecca!" Pica squeaked as his eyes locked onto the four people flying overhead..

Rei raised her eyebrows when she heard the high pitched sound of the Donquixote Executive.  _What a strange voice._

"Who is he?" Robin asked.

"Pica! He's one of the Top Executives of the Donquixote family along with Trebol and Diamante!" Rebecca gasped.

"He's a Stone-Stone Fruit user," Rei said, "But that doesn't explain his voice."

"Whatever you do, don't laugh at his voice," Rebecca warned.

"What happens if you laugh at his voice?" Bartolomeo asked.

"He loses control!" Rebecca said.

"If he attacks now, we can't avoid it!" Leo wailed.

"Zoro!" Rei shouted down, "Hold him back!"

"I can do that but-" Zoro started to say but Robin interrupted him quickly. "We have to move beyond this stone figure and get to the other side."

"That aside, why're you guys flying?" Zoro demanded.

"No time to explain," Rei said as she watched Pica melt back into the statue, "And you're letting him get away."

Zoro turned to see his opponent disappear completely and he scowled. "Tch."

"Oh boy!" Bartolomeo cheered, "Did he run because he got frightened by how strong Zoro-senpai is?"

Rei and Zoro both sensed Pica's presence before he resurfaced on the opposite shoulder of the statue.

"Shoulder," Rei stated.

"Ah," Zoro grunted to show that he knew. He put his sword back into his mouth and focused his attention back on the Stone-Stone fruit user.

The fist of the statue started to move and it angled itself so that it was directly in front of Rei, Bartolomeo, Robin, and Rebecca. Given that Rei had a head start, she would be the first one to get hit if Pica landed his punch.

"Shit!" Bartolomeo cried as his eyes bugged out of their sockets, "He's targeting us! I can't make a barrier that big even if I can free my hands! We're going to get flattened!"

The stone fist thrust across the air.

"Three-swords style!" Zoro called as he jumped directly between Rei and the stone fist as his swords got into position. "1080 Pound Cannon!"

A giant slash sliced through the air and cut through the thick statue. Blood spurted out of Pica as he let out a high pitch shriek of pain showing that Zoro had wounded him through the stone.

Rei felt Zoro's Haki through the attack and this time the familiarity of it was hard for her to shake off. She watched Zoro curiously as he landed back on the statue below but the swordsman's attention was still on Pica.  _That energy..._

"I'm starting to see how your power works," Zoro said with a smirk to the Top Executive. "Hey, you soprano voiced fool!"

Pica was out of breath in pain and he was unable to respond so Zoro continued. "I forgot to tell you one thing."

Zoro smoothly placed his Wado Ichimonji back by his side. "The Straw Hat Pirates are not just Straw Hat Luffy and God Usopp. You shouldn't take us lightly just because those two aren't here. I'm the man who will one day be the world's best swordsman..."

The look on his face was far from kind and even from high up, Rei could sense the merciless aura Zoro had around him. It seemed even the air turned slightly colder. "So it was foolish of you to think had the luxury to go after anyone else. I've been out of your league to begin with."

"J-J-J-Joro-zenpai!" Bartolomeo cried out through a stuffy nose as he sobbed with awe.

Rei decided to push her questions to the back of her mind and take her own advice.  _Yes, explanations later, s_ he thought as she kicked off from the stone statue's upper arm to get onto it's shoulder.

"Oy! Know it All!" Zoro shouted from behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder and she leapt off of the statue. "You're welcome," he said with an arrogant grin as she floated farther and farther away.

"J-J-Joro-zenpai! I'm so impressed!" Bartolomeo blubbered.

"Rooster-kun! Get it together," Robin lectured, "We're almost there."

"B-But Zoro-senpai was so cool!"

"We're heading towards the 2nd level of the plateau," Robin said, "Focus on where you land!"

"There's going to be a lot of executives up ahead," Rei warned, "Our guard needs to be up."

_Purupurupurupuru. Purupurupurupuru._

"My snail!" Leo cried while perched on Rebecca.

_Catcha._

"Hello! This is Leo."

"It's Mouji!" came an anguished voice. The voice sounded like an old man but it wasn't anyone Rei recognized.

"Mouji!" Leo exclaimed in relief, "I'm glad to hear from you! It means our friends have been rescued!"

"A Tontatta from the Factory," Rei said out loud in case Robin was wondering, "That must mean Franky made it."

"I hope he's okay," Robin said and Rei could catch a hint of worry.

"Leo! We have a big problem!" Mouji shouted, "The princess is...Princess Mansherry is nowhere to be found!"

"Princess Mansherry?" Rei asked Leo.

"The princess of the Tontattas!" Leo explained, "Doflamingo took her along with many of our people to work in the factory!"

"She must be locked up somewhere crying 'Mouji! Mouji!'" Mouji howled through his tears.

"Leo, call Violet!" Rei ordered, "If anyone can find her, it'll be Violet."

"Yes, right away," Leo said before turning back to Mouji, "We'll find her. Don't worry, Mouji!"

With that, he hung up the snail and reconnected it to Viola.

"If they're hiding Mansherry, I can't think of anywhere else they'd do it other than the Royal Palace," King Riku said after Leo explained the situation to him and Viola, "Doflamingo wouldn't kill Mansherry, as I'm sure he wants her 'power' but right now it's us who needs that power more than anyone."

"What power?" Rei asked.

"Princess Mansherry can heal anything," Leo explained.

"The Heal-Heal fruit?!" Rei asked. Suddenly, through the phone she heard Usopp shouting and some other muffled voices.

"What's going on? Usopp? Is everything okay?" Rei asked.

She heard the sounds of the transponder snail being passed around and then Usopp's came through. "Yes. Kin'emon and his weirdo samurai friend just arrived."

Rei couldn't help but notice that Usopp sounded very annoyed. She was glad to hear the strength return in his voice but he was definitely not in a good mood. "His friend has a...special ability," he grumbled, "and it seems using that he created an opening for people to come up to the King's Plateau."

"What? What special ability does he have?" Rei asked as she kicked off from the base of the plateau's second tier.

Before Usopp could answer, Viola's voice came through the line again. "Leo! I found her!"

"Viola-sama! Thank you for finding her for us!" Leo shouted in relief, "Where is she?!"

"She's in the palace, behind the chapel in a small room. Do you remember it?" Viola asked.

"The timeout room?!" Leo gasped.

"Yes that's it," Viola replied.

Leo's eyes started to fill up with tears. "It...it...reminds me of Miss Scarlet," he answered sadly.

"My mother?!" Rebecca asked in alarm, "You knew my mother?"

"When we used to visit the palace," Leo sniffled as he shared a look with Cub, "We would often get into mischief with Miss Viola and get scolded by King Riku...and every time Miss Scarlet would come visit us in the timeout room when we got into trouble and cheer us up. We all absolutely loved Miss Scarlet!"

"The palace is now the enemy's base, Leo," Viola warned him, "So you'll need to be careful."

"Roger that!" Leo said and then he shouted into the snail, "Viola-sama, King Riku-sama, I promise I'll save the princess!"

_Catcha._

"So that gives us another reason to get to the Flower F-," Robin started to say.

"Robin," Rei interrupted, "It's time."

"What?"

Robin stared at the back of Rei's head. She couldn't see her face but Robin knew something had caught Rei's attention and it wasn't good.

"Crest Head," Rei called out to Bartolomeo, "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."

"What?" Now it was his turn to be confused.

Suddenly, Rei let go of her wires and started to fall down while her Yellow Cubs continued to fly upwards.

"REI!" Robin shouted in horror.

Rei ignored her friend and she threw out one of her chains towards the Crest Head.

He let out a scream of terror. "Rei-sama! What are you doing?!"

The dagger flew just above his hands, cutting the wires and detaching his right hand from his mode of transportation. "WHAT?!" he shouted.

He looked down at Rei and that's when he noticed the small black balloons floating towards her from right under their feet. They seemed to be aimed at him but with the trajectory of Rei's fall, she would be connecting with them first.

"Your hand is free now," Rei said, "So make your barrier."

"W-w-where did these balloons come from?!" Bartolomeo cried.

"Barrier! Now!" Rei ordered.

"Please, Rooster-kun!" Robin shouted.

Bartolomeo quickly crossed his fingers just in time to create a barrier below his feet, separating them from Rei and the balloons.

"Pop Baller!" came a voice from below.

The balloons started to explode around as Rei continued to fall downwards as her Armament Haki started to slowly spread through out her body. The impact did not affect the others as the barrier kept them safe but Rei was caught in the explosion. The explosions enveloped her and Robin lost sight of her completely under the clouds of smoke that billowed through.

"REI!" Robin cried.

"RAYMOND!" Rebecca screamed.

After a few seconds, the barrier disappeared and the air cleared below them. Robin saw that Rei was headed straight toward their attacker and still alive. Besides some scorch marks around her clothes, it didn't seem she was affected much by it. Robin noticed the burns around her legs and where her skin was exposed but other than that, Rei seemed fine.

Rei gritted her teeth and clung to her chains. Her Armament Haki definitely did not spread far enough but it at least protected her head and neck. Her legs burned and back ached but she kept her eyes on the target, the creator of the small black bombs. He had jumped high into the air, following his balls, and his black, long coat billowed out around him. He was a blue-haired spikey man who wore blue goggles over a white mask.

"You're a Haki user," he growled up at Rei.

"You're a Pop-Pop fruit user," she answered as she shot her chain towards him. "Now that introductions are over...Talon Grip!"

Her chain wrapped around the bomb man, who grunted in surprise. With both hands she reeled the chain in, closing the distance between the two as they fell. She used him as a platform and planted her feet firmly on his chest when he was right below her. She rode him down like a human surfboard.

"Raymond!" Rebecca cried out as she watched the pair crash land to the 3rd level of the plateau.

"Don't worry," Robin said, "They'll be fine. Our priority is to get you and Leo to the palace. Law needs the key and Leo needs to save the Princess."

She looked at Bartolomeo, who was falling but not as fast as Rei was. He still had one hand on the group of Yellow Cubs so they were able to slow his fall by a little bit. "Rooster-kun!" Robin called out, "You're going to have to help Rei and keep the executives away from the Flower Fields. I'm counting on you!'

"AHHHHH! Robin-senpai is counting on me!" Bartolomeo squealed as he disappeared in the cloudy ground below them.


	46. Gladius, Cavendish, and Bartolomeo

The fall knocked the wind out of Rei as she landed on her shoulder. She felt a sharp pain as it dislocated and she tumbled off of the Pop-Pop fruit user, letting go of the chain that bound him while doing so.  _Shit_ , she thought as she tried to get her breath back.

Bartolomeo landed a few feet away shortly after her. Not as forcefully as she did but still enough to cause some discomfort on his end. He was sprawled on the ground and Rei could see only the whites of his eyes. "I'm never traveling that way again," he grunted.

"It's Crest Head!" Luffy's voice shouted.

"Luffy-senpai!" Bartolomeo exclaimed, his energy fully restored. The negativity in his voice disappeared completely and he quickly scrambled to his feet to see his idol. Immediately, Rei sat up too.

The rubber man grinned at her and she noticed that not only was Law with him but Kyros and Cavendish as well. Rei got to her feet and placed a hand on her injured shoulder. She felt the bones with her fingers and winced as she applied pressure to it.

"Rei, are you hurt?" Luffy asked with a frown.

She took a deep breath and placed her palm against her shoulder. With a strong push, she relocated her shoulder back into its socket and she gritted her teeth in pain. The sound of the bones being pushed back into place made both Cavendish and Bartolomeo shudder.

"I'll be fine," Rei said as she moved her shoulder around, "Not the first time I had to do that."

"Rei-ya!" Law called out from behind Luffy. The handcuffs were still firmly wrapped around his wrists and he was seated on the ground. "Where's my key?! Give it to me now!"

"It's with Rebecca," Rei said apologetically to the Heart Pirate, "She's making her way up to the Flower Fields now. I didn't realize you were right below us."

"Rebecca!" Kyros shouted as he looked up towards the final plateau.

"Don't worry," Rei said to the gladiator, "Robin is up there with her."

"R-Rebecca slipped through my fingers," a voice grumbled from behind them.

Rei turned to see the Pop-pop fruit user struggle to his feet. He was weak from the Sea Prism Stone chain but without Rei holding onto the end of it, he was able to shake it off. It dropped to the ground with a thud next to his feet. "That little tramp. She may manage to make it to the Royal Palace but she won't be able to do anything! I'll hunt her down and put an end to her after I'm done with you!"

The sleeves of his forearms started to inflate. "My name is Gladius!" he shouted as he quickly regained his strength, "And I'm going to start by disposing of you trash!"

Two large tin soldiers appeared from behind the executive. They were at least twice the size of a normal human being and they had heavy, nutcracker-like jaws.

"Sugar's awake," Rei said with a frown. She gripped her remaining dagger chain near the end of it while swinging the dagger end in front of her like a propeller. "Luffy. Law. Take Rebecca's father and head to the Sunflower Fields. Leave this to me."

"Yeah!" Bartolomeo said in support as he took a stand next to Rei.

"Rei-" Luffy started to protest but Rei cut him off.

More tin soldiers started to join the two behind Gladius and they started to close in on Luffy and his group. Rei tore her eyes away from the front to lock eyes with her captain. "Robin and Rebecca are waiting up there for you. I know you feel it too. The dark presence up there is overwhelming. Hopefully, Doflamingo and the Executives are just waiting inside the palace but if any one of them is out there on the Flower Fields…"

Luffy studied Rei's face for a moment and then he gave a small, grim nod. "Okay."

Suddenly, machine gun shots were fired and Rei turned back to face Gladius. Small black balls were coming out from golden metal cuffs and they expanded in the air as they flew towards Rei and Bartolomeo.

"Gum-Gum-" Luffy started to shout as he inflated his belly.

"Luffy-senpai!" Bartolomeo jumped in front of the rubber man and crossed his fingers, "Let me take this!"

"Crest Head," Luffy said in bewilderment as a large concave barrier formed in front of Bartolomeo. It was large enough to curve over the group slightly. The bombs exploded all around them like fireworks and the barrier stayed intact. Rei, Luffy, Law, Kyros, and Cavendish watched as the flames and air pressure were blocked by Bartolomeo's creation and it pushed the explosion to the sides.

"Bartolomeo!" Gladius seethed.

"Those are balls of explosives," Rei said to Luffy, "They'll explode before you can even deflect them."

"Whoa! Awesome, Crest Head!" Luffy cheered.

Bartolomeo immediately lost his cool composure. His cheeks flushed and a simpering smile spread across his face. "Oh no! I don't deserve such a praise!"

"Go!" Gladius commanded to his tin soldiers. Four soldiers slowly bounded forward.

Immediately Luffy jumped in the air to the two in front while Rei swung out her chains for the two in the back.

"Gum-Gum Jet Whip!" Luffy shouted as he stretched his leg and kicked his targets to the side. They went crashing towards the wall.

"Chain Whip!" Rei called at the same as her chains launched forward and whipped her targets to the other side, which happened to be the edge of the platform and they flew downwards to the second plateau

"Cool! I just saw his Second Gear and Jet Whip up close! And to see the teamwork between him and Rei-sama!" gushed Bartolomeo, "So impressive."

Law was not sharing the same sentiment as the Crest Head. "Straw Hat-ya! Just get rid of them and let's move on already. You're taking too much time!"

"Hey you!" Bartolomeo snapped at the Heart Pirate, "Don't talk to Luffy-senpai like that!"

He turned to look at his idol and he got an idea. "Barrier Ability," he gloated. With his fingers still crossed, he snapped them. "Stairs."

Instantly the barrier in front of him disappeared and reappeared along the edge of the plateau. It changed shape to form a long stairwell that led upwards to the Flower Fields.

"Oooh!" Luffy shouted in delight, "That's pretty cool! You saved us a lot of trouble!"

"Luffy-senpai, please use this!" Bartolomeo said. He was still facing Gladius as the rubber man ran behind him to take a closer look at the stairs.

"Why are you looking the other way? Luffy's behind you…" Cavendish asked.

"Thanks, Crest Head!" Luffy said.

It was as if Bartolomeo was struck by lightning. His eyes widened and all his hairs stuck straight up. _No, thank you for being born,_  Bartolomeo thought as he fell to his knees. He wept with joy and created puddles of tears around him.

"What is wrong with you?" Cavendish shouted angrily at Bartolomeo, who was just a sobbing heap on the ground.

Luffy hauled Law over his shoulders, oblivious to Bartolomeo's joy. "Okay, let's go, Tra-guy!" He ran up the stairs with Law dangling over him. From each side of the stairs, two gigantic nutcrackers leapt forward and opened their mouths to bite down on the rubberman.

Before the nutcrackers could clamp down, Kyros leapt over the rubber man. Without breaking stride, he used his sword to slice the tin soldiers' jaws open and continued to run up the stairs ahead of Luffy and Law.

"Wait! Soldier-san!" Luffy shouted as he followed Kyros.

Instantly, another nutcracker started to move towards the rubber man from the bottom of the stairs but then he was stopped by Cavendish this time. "I'll hold them off! Hurry, Straw Hat!"

"Cabbage!" Luffy shouted in surprise.

"My beloved horse lies fallen on the floor," Cavendish cried out dramatically, "I can't go on without giving these bastards retribution!"

Rei heard a click sound and she spun around in time to see Gladius raise an arm towards her.  _Shit, I wasn't paying attention_ , she thought. She held her chain in front of her in preparation for the attack. To her surprise, he gave a little chuckle and then aimed his arm above her and fired towards Luffy.

 _He's aiming for Luffy!_  Rei thought as followed the rupture balls' movement with her eyes. "Luffy! Incoming!" she warned.

"I've got it covered!" Bartolomeo shouted as he leapt up courageously to use his body as a shield.

"Don't be stupid!" Rei retorted as she swung her daggers towards the balloons. She popped them from behind their trajectory with her blade so that they each detonated before they could get remotely close to Bartolomeo.

"The hell happened to your barriers?!" Cavendish snapped at Bartolomeo.

"There's a limit on the total surface area of barrier I can put out at any given time…" he said sheepishly, "Right now I've used it all on these stairs but I guess Rei-sama already figured that out."

Rei pulled back her chains and readied herself for Gladius' next attack. "There's no need for you to sacrifice yourself."

He gulped and bellowed at the top of his lungs. "If I can be of use to Luffy-senpai then I shall gladly give up this life! I am happy to die for him. I am!"

"You're unbelievable!" Cavendish snapped but Rei didn't think the pretty pirate meant it as a compliment. "Until you can use your barriers again, I'll fight alongside you and Rei! Just keep it together!"

A nutcracker jumped high in the air and set his eyes on the barrier man. Rei made a dash towards it, rushing past Cavendish by doing so.  _Can't exactly ignore Bartolomeo now that he made such a declaration to Luffy_ , she thought.

"Beak Snap!" Rei cried as she threw her chain around its jaws from behind. She pulled the chain back and broke it's head in half before either Bartolomeo or Cavendish can react.

"R-R-Rei-sama," Bartolomeo panted.

"I'm beginning to understand you, Bartolomeo," Rei stated as she positioned herself at the bottom of the steps, facing forward. Whoever attempted to go after Luffy would need to get past her, "And I know how you feel."

Her chain started to swing in front of her again. It was slow at first and made a nice whooshing noise as it spun around and around. "Our captain is worth risking our lives for. Even though my time with him has been shorter than the others, I know that Luffy has always been and always will be the winning trump card."

The pace of her chain started to pick up and soon it was moving so fast that no one could even see the chains anymore. Another group of soldiers were advancing towards the stairwell now. "Talon Grip!"

She launched the chain towards the closest soldier in front of her and the dagger lodged itself firmly into its chest. She clutched the end of her chain with both hands and swung him heavily from one side to another. She used his large size to crash into the soldiers next to him and knocked the whole group onto the floor. With an experienced flick of her wrist, the dagger released itself from the soldier and whipped back toward Rei. She caught it effortlessly by the hilt and then pointed the blade towards Gladius. "I won't let you lay a finger on Luffy."

Suddenly, the tin soldiers around them started to glow in a very familiar way.

"No way," Gladius gasped as the nutcrackers disappeared and 8 men fell to the ground where each nutcracker stood, "Sugar? Again?!"

"No wonder they were so hard to beat," Cavendish said, "There were 8 to each nutcracker!"

"Rebecca!" they heard Luffy's voice call out and they looked up to see that the rubber man, Law, and Kyros were no longer on the stairs.

"Woohoo! I got my barrier back!" Bartolomeo cheered as he uncrossed his fingers. The staircase vanished behind them.

Rei noticed that the men that were once nutcrackers were all wearing Doflamingo's henchmen uniform of black sweaters and cream pants. She tilted her head at Gladius. "You turned your own men into toys?"

"What the hell do these bastards think their underlings are for?!" Cavendish exclaimed.

"I-I-I'm so glad to be back to my human form," one of the men stammered as he got back up to his feet, "I thought I was gonna have to live the rest of my life as a toy."

"D-D-D-Don't be ridiculous!" Gladius shouted with false confidence, "We had every intention of turning you all back once this skirmish has been settled."

"Y-y-yeah! That's right! What a relief!" Doflamingo's men exclaimed as they bought into Gladius' lie but Rei had a better idea.

"How? Everyone had forgotten your existence. How would they remember to turn you back?" Rei asked coolly.

The men all looked at Gladius for answers and he cleared his throat nervously. Rei decided to take advantage of his silence. "What do you think Doflamingo is going to do to you all once this fight is over?" she called out to the men.

She gestured towards the strings above them, "You see his game. No one is going to be left alive on this island. He won't take any chances of any information leaking out about what he has done to this island. He intends to kill King Riku and his family, the pirates, the marines, the citizens, and…"

She paused for dramatic effect. "...and his own men as well."

They all took a step back in fear. "B-b-b-boss?" they hesitantly asked Gladius.

"Don't listen to him!" Gladius shouted, "Obviously we will keep you alive. We need your help to control this-"

"The Donquixote Family spent a decade turning people into toys and gaining an army that way. What makes you think they won't do the same to you? Do you really think Doflamingo is merciful or even puts your lives as a priority?" Rei interjected, "I'm not asking you to rebel against Doflamingo. I'm not even asking you to fight against the family...but…"

"But what?" one of the men asked.

Rei knew they had taken the bait, "But if you were to help me take Gladius out, how would Doflamingo know? Viola is no longer part of the Donquixote Family and there's no other executives on this plateau. There's no one to report back to him…"

Gladius watched eyes wide as his own men slowly turned toward him. "What are you guys doing?!"

The men looked at each other and then ran towards Gladius to attack. Rei used this opportunity while Gladius was distracted to get closer to him and retrieve her second dagger chain. The Pop-Pop fruit user's movements were sporadic and he seemed to be running everywhere along the plateau. Rei noticed that he also seemed lower his center of gravity and often fought low on the ground.

"En guarde!" Cavendish shouted as he rushed forward with this rapier in hand but Rei quickly reached out and pulled the blonde back by the shoulder.

"Don't," Rei said coolly, "Did you not notice?"

Cavendish was thoroughly annoyed to have been interrupted. He was going to fight so gloriously! Was this Straw Hat pirate trying to steal the spotlight from him? "Notice what?!" he snapped.

Rei made her way back to Bartolomeo as the floor below them started to swell. "He planted bombs on the floor."

The whole surface of the third tier was inflating upwards and it was seconds away from bursting. "His movements were a bit all over the place..." Cavendish said with surprise.

"Gyahhhh! Rei-sama has such good eyes!" Bartolomeo shouted with pride as he crossed his fingers forming a barrier in front of him and Rei, leaving Cavendish on the other side.

"Hey! Bartolomeo! Let me in! The ground is about to blow up!" Cavendish demanded.

"No way!" Bartolomeo complained, "If I open it, it'll be a risk for me and Rei-sama. Enemies could come in too."

"Just open it!" Cavendish snarled.

The ground started to rise up even higher and it was only a few moments left before utter destruction.

"JUST FUCKING OPEN IT!" Cavendish shouted at Bartolomeo.

"Punk Rock!" Gladius called as the ground exploded beneath their feet and the floor of the third tier seemd to rip open.

Rei and Bartolomeo safely watched from behind the barrier as the floor in front of them blew up into tiny pieces. Men fell outwards and downwards from the impact. "Whew," Bartolomeo breathed, "Cavendish, if you were outside in that mess you could've died."

Cavendish, who Bartolomeo had let in on the last second, gave him a swift kick in the head, "You dickwad! If you were gonna let me in, you should've done it in the first place! I almost shit my pants!"

"Is that how you treat someone who just saved your life?" Rei asked, genuinely curious at Cavendish' lack of gratitude.

"HE SAID HE WASN'T GOING TO!" Cavendish snapped but Rei just gave a blank expression back. He sighed, "Forget it. Just let me back out. The attack is over."

"EHHHH?!" Bartolomeo cried in surprise, "You just got done demanding to be let in and now you want to be let out?! I'm not opening a friggin pub here. You can't just go in and out as you please! At least stay a bit longer and hang out on this side."

"WHAT?!" Cavendish yelled, "I'm not going to hang out with you, you freak!"

A sudden hand, placed on each of their shoulders, stopped them from further arguments.

"Guys, friends shouldn't fight," Rei said with her eyes fixed ahead at the smoking ruins of the third tier.

Cavendish took offense. "Who said we were friends?!"

"Be careful of Gladius," Rei said ignoring Cavendish' scowl, "He can inflate anything and make it explode. That includes the ground and people. Don't let him touch you. Distance is key."

She then turned her attention to Bartolomeo. "Stay here along the edge of the plateau. Our purpose now is to keep everyone down here and away from the palace. Now that Luffy is up there, no one should butt in."

She then leaned a little closer and said lowly so that only Bartolomeo could hear, "Also keep your guard up on Cavendish. Be careful, especially when he falls asleep."

Bartolomeo melted into a puddle of delight. "AHHHHH!" he squealed as his barrier disappeared, "Rei-sama told me to be careful. He's worried about me. He even whispered into my ear and confided in me! I bet he wants to be besties with me. Oh wait, no. What a shameless thought."

He gave out an embarrassed chuckle before shouting in a high pitched voice. "AHHH I'm so happy! I could just die right here."

"I WISH YOU WOULD!" Cavendish snapped as he rushed forward to find and put an end to Gladius.


	47. Rei vs Gladius

Rei was running out of energy to sustain her Haki. Her Observational Haki was dwindling and she could barely sense anything outside of the 3rd plateau now. She also couldn't feel the energy of the executives below them anymore but since they hadn't appeared on this plateau yet, it meant that the Colosseum fighters were keeping them busy. She knew, though, that she couldn't count the executives out of the battle entirely and there was still a chance they would join Gladius.  _I need to take him down fast before anyone else comes up or else it'll get even messier...But how?_

"I won't let you get in the way of the Top Executives anymore," Gladius growled as he aimed an expanding arm at her. "Catapult Punk!"

The black balloon shot forward but just as it was about to explode, Bartolomeo's barrier went back up again and it shielded them from the impact.

"No one is going to harm Rei-sama! Not while I'm around!" Bartolomeo shouted.

"Thank you, Bartolomeo," Rei said as she gave him a relieved smile, "You're buying me some time to think. When this is all done, I'll buy you a drink."

Bartolomeo stood stunned as he was mesmerized by the sudden friendliness from the Straw Hat Pirate. "R-R-R-Rei-sama," Bartolomeo stuttered, "You want to buy me a drink?"

Rei's smile turned into a frown as she contemplated her actions. "Isn't that what fellow pirates do with their comrades?"

"Comrades?!" Bartolomeo gasped, "You see me as your equal?!"

Bartolomeo looked like he had turned to stone, which made Rei nervous. "Maybe not an equal. You have been a pirate longer than I have so in terms of experience, you probably-"

"R-R-R-R-R-REI-SAMA, YOU HOLD ME IN SUCH HIGH REGARD! TO THINK OF US AS EQUALS!" Bartolomeo interrupted as tears of joy streamed down his face, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING! I'M SO GLAD I CAME OUT TO SEA!"

Rei then noticed that the blonde haired swordsman was no longer behind the barrier with them. She looked around just in time to see him appear in front of Gladius.

"Cavendish!" Gladius exclaimed in surprise, "You survived?!"

The commotion brought Rei back to reality. She quickly fought back her embarrassment and focused on the task at hand. Gladius' arms started to swell up again and Cavendish was too close to get behind Bartolomeo's barrier in time.

"He's going to pop another one of his balloons," Rei said outloud, "Cavendish is going to-"

"SAY NO MORE, REI-SAMA!" Bartolomeo screamed in delight, "LEAVE IT TO ME, YOUR PEER! AHHHHHH! BARRIER CHARGING BULL!"

With his barrier still in front of him, he ran forward and left Rei behind in a trail of dust. The barrier acted as a screen and it pushed everyone on the other side of the barrier closer and closer to the plateau edge, including Cavendish.

"STOP BARTOLOMEO!" Cavendish cried.

"I CAN'T!" Bartolomeo replied back with equal volume, "There's a reason I can't stop now! I have to do this for my friend!"

"I don't care!" Cavendish snapped back as he tried to run away from Bartolomeo.

"Dellinger!" Gladius' voice called out, "Aren't you done with the 2nd level?!"

Rei gasped as she turned her attention to who Gladius was speaking to. She saw a boy executive with the long legs and high heels. He stood on the ledge of the 2nd level while he called up to Gladius. He had on a white cap with white horns on it.  _If he comes up here, the rest will probably join too. Think, Rei! Think fast!_

Her eyes darted around her to see if she could think of how to stop Gladius but then she realized she didn't have to do anything. Bartolomeo's barrier had knocked Cavendish out cold and he was no longer conscious. Hakuba had come out of Cavendish and he was slashing away at Doflamingo's men, the ones who were still standing.

"Bartolomeo!" she shouted as she ran after the Crest Head, "Surround yourself with your barrier!"

"What? What's happening?" Bartolomeo asked.

"I'm heerre!" a sing-song voice called out, interrupting Rei from explaining.

Rei's stomach tightened as she saw Dellinger arrive on the 3rd plateau. She made her way to Bartolomeo's side. "More trouble," she said to him.

'Dellinger! I'm still here!" Gladius shouted at his peer, "It's dangerous now! We're up against a messy one!"

"Kyah!" Dellinger exclaimed, "This isn't like you at all, Gladius! There's no one we can't take down toget-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hakuba appeared and sliced through Dellinger's shoulder.

"AHHHH! Where did that guy come from?!" Bartolomeo screamed as he reformed his barrier so that it encircled him and Rei.

"Dellinger!" Gladius shouted with worry.

"Who is that?!" Dellinger clutched his injured shoulder and tried to locate his attacker. Hakuba was too fast and his next attack not only wounded Dellinger's torso severely, it had also rendered him unconscious.

"He's wearing Cavendish's clothes and he has Cavendish's hair but his face is not Cavendish! It's some other dish!" Bartolomeo said as he pressed his nose against his barrier to get a better look, "I wonder-"

Boom!

Hakuba's sword clashed against the barrier where Bartolomeo's nose was and the Crest Head jumped back terrified. "AHHHH! That was scary. I didn't even see him arrive!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Hakuba kept swinging at Bartolomeo and Rei from every angle in an attempt to break the barrier.

"AHHHHHH!" A female scream came up from high above and Rei looked towards the sound.

"Rebecca!" Rei cried, "Do you think somethings happened to her and Robin?!"

Unfortunately, Rei was not the only one who caught the noise and Hakuba's head started to turn towards that direction as well.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Bartolomeo shouted at Hakuba.

Hakuba ran towards the plateau and sliced a dent along the wall. It was angled upward and created a ramp to the Flower Fields.

"He's going to attack Rebecca!" Rei gasped. "Bartolomeo, you have to let me out!"

"WHAT?! Are you crazy?!" Bartolomeo shouted.

"I can stop him," Rei said.

"How?!"

"Just trust me!"

Bartolomeo burst into tears, "Of course I trust you! I just can't let you die!"

"I'm not going to so just put down the barrier for one second!" Rei demanded.

"Fine!" Bartolomeo said reluctantly, "On the count of three. One...two...three!"

On three, the barrier disappeared and Rei quickly stepped out before the barrier reformed behind her. She ran after Hakuba. She was only a few steps behind her when she held up her daggers at the last second just in time to stop Hakuba's sword from slicing her head off. His narrowed eyes were glazed over with bloodlust and he was grinning ear to ear in a malicious smile.

"Ah! You blocked his attack!" Bartolomeo shouted.

"Now's not the time to be impressed!" Rei said as Hakuba disappeared from sight again.

"Ah! Where did he go?!" Bartolomeo exclaimed.

As if on cue, Hakuba appeared from Rei's side and his sword came swinging down. Rei dodged it in a blur and came up from behind him. "Twin Talon Grip," she said as she wrapped her chains around him.

"I'm fast too," Rei stated and held tightly to the chains. He struggled against her hold, indicating that he wasn't affected by the Sea Prism Stone. The chains pinned his arms down despite his struggles.

"Ah! You were able to stop him!" Bartolomeo cried, "So impertinent of me to think you needed me to protect you!

"Hakuba, right?" Rei said to her captive, "We don't have much time. I'm going to need my chains back soon if Gladius tries to attack again so I'll need you to bring back Cavendish, if possible."

Her prisoner said nothing but she waited anyways for a sign that he understood. Finally, after a few seconds, a small voice came out from him. "Wait, Hakuba…"

Hakuba's face suddenly transformed back to Cavendish. "I never said you had my permission to appear now!"

"Cavendish! You're back!" Rei said in relief even though she didn't loosen her chains.

"He's such a pain," Cavendish huffed, "With his indiscriminate-"

"Your hands! Your legs! Your neck! I'll chop every last bit of you, 'Red-Ghost' Rei!" Hakuba snarled, taking over Cavendish again.

"Don't come out, Hakuba!" Cavendish shouted, regaining control, "I can't leave this to you!"

"Shut up, Cavendish, and go back to sleep!" Hakuba snarled.

"You don't understand what this battle means to me!" Cavendish argued.

"He's having a damn conversation with himself!" Bartolomeo shouted from his barrier. "What the hell?!"

 _Is this what's going to happen to me if I don't control my dreams?,_  Rei thought with a gulp.

"I will fight!" Cavendish shouted.

"Me!" Hakuba retorted.

"I will!"

"Me!"

"I will!"

"Me!"

"I will!"

"Me!"

"ME WILL!" Suddenly, half of Cavendish' face was Hakuba while the other half remained intact.

"Holy crap! They're now half and half!" Bartolomeo screamed.

Rei could feel a dangerous energy pool below her feet and she looked past Cavendish/Hakuba to see Gladius kneeling down on the floor with his palms on the floor.

"I'll take care of you lot while I still have the chance," he growled at them.

"What?! The bomb guy?!" Bartolomeo shouted, "Cavendish didn't get him?!"

"Rei! Let me loose. You need your chains to fight him and I can help you stop him!" Cavendish said as he struggled against her chains.

"What if Hakuba comes back?" Rei countered, "You're asking me to trust you after seeing that?!"

The floor beneath their feet started to swell up.

"Come on! Let me go! The floor is about to explode and you need to get away too!" Cavendish cried.

"Rei-sama! Run. Just let Cavendish go and I can form a barrier between us," Bartolomeo added.

"No," Rei said, "Form a barrier around Cavendish."

"What?!" Bartolomeo cried, "But what about the explosion?"

"I'll stop the explosion. Keep Cavendish and Hakuba contained. Let me worry about Gladius," Rei said, "Ready?"

"R-R-R-Rei-sama, but what should I do? I can't just sit back. I can help!" Bartolomeo protested.

"Just do what Luffy would do," Rei said.

"What does that mean?"

"Surprise us." Rei threw Cavendish toward Bartolomeo, releasing her chains in the process. The floor was now curved like a small hill and Rei knew she was running out of time. Bartolomeo formed a barrier around Cavendish so that the swordsman could not escape but it left both Bartolomeo and Rei exposed.

"The only way to stop a balloon from popping is to stop it the source," Rei said as she wrapped her chains around her arms to create make-shift guards from her elbow all the way up to her palms without taking her eyes of Gladius. She held the daggers in each hand and took a deep breath, "Which means defeating him."

Gladius chuckled. "Good decision to come for me. The moment you defeat me, you'll stop the entire plateau from exploding."

Rei ran forward and towards the executive. "This fight ends here and now."

A small part of his forehead started to swell. It was right at the edge of his hairline. He bent forward so that the hairs were sticking out towards Rei. "Punk Hair!"

With a pop, he sent the hairs along his forehead shooting out towards Rei like needles. She used the chains along her wrist to block the attack without breaking stride.

"Woo! Rei-sama blocked his attack!" Bartolomeo shouted excitedly through his barrier to Cavendish, who was still struggling to regain full control.

"I don't need the play-by-play!" Cavendish snapped.

Suddenly, Rei stumbled slightly in her step, which caught both her and Bartolomeo by surprise. She looked down and saw two thin hairs sticking out from her left thigh. She wasn't able to block those two and she could feel her thigh getting numb and it was starting to spread down towards her knees. My Haki is at its limit, she thought to herself as she pulled them out and threw them on the floor.

She looked back at Gladius. "Poison."

Gladius laughed and started to expand his entire body. "My whole hair is poisonous. My whole body is explosive and when irritated enough, I can send needles a million times more potent to everyone here."

"Bartolomeo, let me out of this barrier and we can go help Red-Ghost Rei!" Cavendish shouted.

"No! Not until Cavendish is down," Rei retorted before Bartolomeo could have any second thoughts, "I can handle him."

"What do you mean when I'm down?! Don't you mean Hakuba?!" Cavendish shouted angrily.

Wordlessly, Rei took one of her daggers and plunged the blade into her thigh where the two needles were.

"Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo cried in alarm.

"I need the poison to bleed out," Rei said. Pulling back out the dagger and feeling her senses returning towards her leg. Better to feel pain than nothing, she thought as she steadied herself. She felt the sensation of the green energy beginning to take over. This time, the familiarity of it was too strong for her to ignore. She instinctively tightened her grasp on her daggers. Zoro?! But when?!

"Ah! He's going to explode soon!" Bartolomeo cried, interrupting Rei's thoughts.

She blinked for a moment to refocus her mind and she looked at Gladius, who had expanded into a perfect circle. "Now that you've shown your cards," she said as she ran towards him, who had swelled to the size of a small woodshed, "It's time to show you mine."

"Punk Hair!" Gladius shouted as he let loose a stream of sharp hair towards Rei, who veered towards the side to dodge it. With Zoro's Haki, she was able to avoid all of them completely. Gladius had only half of his hair left with a large bald patch

She leapt high into the air so that she was eye level with Gladius and she elbowed him hard across his rounded face.

"Argggh!" Gladius cried in pain as blood sputtered out from his nose. Rei felt a small spurt of additional energy at the sight of the blood. She gave another uppercut into his gut making sure that only her Sea Prism Stone chains were connecting to the inflated man. Again, she felt another boost, like a shot of adrenaline. She continued her attack and with each blow Gladius seemed to shrink down little by little. Rei didn't even stop when Gladius fell down onto the ground and had returned to his normal, human form.

"You...deflated me?!" he gasped as she threw her chains to the floor and picked him up by the throat with her bare hands.

"I knocked the pressure out with my Sea Prism Stones," she stated. The floor swelled even higher. She looked up and saw that the distance between them and the fourth tier was cut in half.

Gladius laughed between breaths. "As long as I am conscious, the floor will still explode."

"Then let me fix that," Rei said as she raised her fist.

"Punk Hair!" Gladius said as the rest of his hair shot out towards Rei. They were too close together for Rei to get out of the way completely, especially since she was holding Gladius at arm's length. Needles stuck out of her shoulder like a porcupine as she fell to her knees. She clutched her shoulder as she started to feel paralyzed. She fell to her knees and breathed heavily.

Gladius looked down at Rei. "You let your guard down, 'Red Ghost' Rei," he taunted.

"No, I didn't," Rei gasped softly, "I kept your eyes on me."

Suddenly, a shadow was cast over both Gladius and Rei. They both looked up to see Bartolomeo, who had leapt over to them. His arm was flung behind him with a spherical barrier surrounding his fist. Gladius tried to move out of the way but he found that something was holding him down. He glanced at his feet and saw that Rei's daggers were pinning him down by the coat tails. "What?!"

"Bari-Bari Pistol!" Bartolomeo shouted as he swung his fist. It connected to Gladius' head and sent him headfirst into the ground, creating a small crater from the force. Gladius' body went limp and the floor deflated back to its original form.

"Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo rushed to help Rei up but she was as limp as a rag doll. He threw her arm over his shoulder and used his own body weight to get her to a standing position.

"I'm okay," Rei said, "I had some Haki left to protect my vital organs. It's only my muscles that are paralyzed. What happened to Cavendish?"

Bartolomeo moved her close to where Cavendish was and she saw that he was unconscious on the floor. He was fast asleep with no Hakubo in sight. A suspicious lump was on his forehead and Rei looked over at Bartolomeo but said nothing.

"Rei-sama, how did you know I'd show up at the end?" Bartolomeo asked.

"I didn't. I took a chance," Rei said honestly, "But I figured someone who admired Luffy for so long probably knew how to emulate him in his own way."

Her eyes locked with Bartolomeo. "And the most obvious characteristic of Luffy is that he always wants to be the one to finish a fight, especially when it means protecting his friends. Is that not so?"

Bartolomeo burst into tears. "Ahhh, Rei-sama! Of course a man who is as awesome as Luffy-senpai would be able to get another awesome man such as yourself as part of his crew!"

"Woman," Rei said.

"What?" Bartolomeo hiccuped.

"I'm not a man. I'm a woman."

Rei was glad she was paralyzed, otherwise she'd be able to feel the pain when Bartolomeo dropped her out of shock and she fell face first onto the ground. Her cap rolled off her head and gently to her side as her long red hair spilled out.


	48. the Ultimate Sense

"Why does it matter if I'm a man or a woman?" Rei asked as she rubbed the blood from her lips. She had accidentally bit it when Bartolomeo dropped her. The poison from Gladius was subsiding and she was starting to feel again. She shakily pushed up the upper half of her body and sat cross legged on the ground.

"It doesn't...I just thought that...That means you and Zoro-senpai…," Bartolomeo was dumbfounded as he stared at the back of Rei's head. "AH!" he screamed as he suddenly remembered he had not only shown his privates to her but had asked that she did the same.

"AHHH! I asked you to do such rude and vulgar actions!" he cried, "Zoro-senpai will never forgive me! I have disgraced myself. Robin-senpai must be so disgusted with me."

"What are you talking about?" Rei asked. She rummaged through her utility belt and took out a small vial. She quickly uncorked the top and consumed its contents in one gulp before placing the now empty bottle back into her belt.

"Rei-sama, what is that?!" Bartolomeo asked.

"It's a basic antidote for general poisoning," Rei said as she shielded her eyes to look around her.

"Why?"

"Only people who have never tasted my dad's cooking would ask that," Rei said dryly.

"Rei-sama, what are you doing now?" Bartolomeo asked.

"I'll need you to be quiet for a little while," she replied.

Bartolomeo said something else but Rei ignored him and was lost in her meditation. Even though she was proficient in summoning her own Haki, she had to concentrate and put in a little more effort to engage this new energy. Now that she knew where the energy came from, she knew what she had to do next.

* * *

**-Flashback, Rei: 6 years old-**

"Using your Haki is like using one of your senses. In fact, Haki is the ultimate sense," King Tannenbay said as he held Rei by her ankles over a large tub of cold water. She had her hands tied behind her back as it was customary for this type of training but she didn't struggle like the others. Then again, this training was usually reserved for kids much older than she was.

"Like seeing or smelling," Rei said calmly as she stared at the water directly below her. Her face reflected in the water, mirroring the solemn expression and showing no hints of discomfort or even fear.

"Yes, and you don't have to tell your eyes to see. You automatically do it so that's what will happen when you familiarize yourself with your Haki. Once you do it once, you won't have to do it again," the king explained, "Although controlling it and using it is a different manner."

"So if the ears hear and the eyes see, what organ uses Haki?" Rei asked.

"Have you ever had a bad feeling about something before you know what it is?" The king responded back.

Even though she was held upside down, she still nodded. Rei's mind flashed back to the day in the fields. The day she left the house and the Bounty Hunters tried to attack her.

"How did you feel it? Where did you feel it?" King Riku asked.

"My stomach tightened and my heart felt scared."

"Your body itself is the source for Haki. That's why you feel from the skin, the largest organ that wraps around and protects your body. Your sensation of touching is the closest sense to the sensation of Haki. That's why most of the time when people use Haki they describe it by saying they 'feel' the energy."

"So how do I activate my Haki?" Rei said.

"By drowning out your other senses," King Tannenbay said, "And take the brain out of the equation. You'll need to rely on your gut and your heart."

Rei said nothing as he submerged her head and shoulders into the cold water. She didn't struggle. In fact, King Tannenbay couldn't help but think she was like a block of ice herself. Rei felt her face go numb. Her ears were hurting a little from the cold and her eyes were shut tightly. All of her senses were starting to go and she focused on her stomach. It was tightened because of the cold and even a bit hungry. Other than that, though, she was disappointed to find that she felt nothing.

After 30 seconds, Rei was pulled out of the water. Her teeth chattered but that was the only effect it seemed to have on her. The king raised her up so they were eye level with her still hanging upside down.

"Anything?" King Tannenbay asked.

Rei shook her head. "What am I looking for? Isn't Haki supposed to happen when you're in danger? Maybe I need someone to attack me."

"Yes," King Tannenbay agreed, "Some methods of training is to continually attack the person, while blindfolded, until that person naturally taps into his Haki but that method is only for adults."

"Why?" Rei asked.

"Because you're still a child. You're still growing and your body is still adapting," King Tannenbay said, "To a child, Haki is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more it grows but once you reach adulthood and hit puberty, that's where your Haki limit is set."

"That still doesn't explain why you're not just attacking me," Rei said.

"That only trains you to use Haki actively. I'm trying to train you to use it more passively," King Tannenbay replied, "The more you use it up without thinking about it-"

"The more it'll grow. Like I'm subconsciously training it everyday," Rei finished for him.

"Exactly and when you reach adulthood, your Haki capacity would at least three times that of a standard Haki user and because I'm starting you off so early, it'll be at least double that of a Beffi Island fighter," King Tannenbay said.

"So what am I trying to feel for when I'm underwater?" Rei asked.

"You're not trying to feel anything. Feeling is a sense all on its own." King Tannenbay said, "Remember, Haki is the ultimate sense. Tap into your Haki and you'd be able to enhance your other senses as well."

"Haki is the ultimate sense," Rei repeated and then grew silent. She nodded to indicate King Tannenbay she was ready and she plunged back down into the water.

This time she focused her mind not on her stomach but on her body in general. She felt her heartbeat and her lungs tighten but nothing else.

When King Tannenbay pulled her up again, her frustrated eyes penetrated into his. He chuckled a little, which only deepened her frown. "No luck yet?"

"I concentrated on my entire body and nothing happened," Rei said.

"Have you tried focusing outwards?" King Tannenbay asked, "All your other senses are used to react to what is happening around us, not what is happening internally. You cannot see the inside of your body. You cannot hear it and you certainly can't smell it. The ultimate sense is no different."

"Well, why didn't you say so before?!" Rei demanded.

"I needed you to warm up your lungs and get used to the cold," King Tannenbay said, "So that you can stay longer underwater now."

Without even waiting for a reply, Rei was back in the water.

* * *

Although Rei was not underwater and the hot sun was warming on her skin, she was able to concentrate and block out her senses. It helped that the numbing sensation from Gladius' poison had not completely gone away. She didn't plan for this but losing all of her natural Haki seemed to be beneficial because she could just focus on Zoro's Haki and not have to differentiate the two.

She focused her mind downwards into her heart, then her stomach, before opening it outwards into the world. Specifically, she concentrated on the second plateau. With so many executives and Colosseum fighters down there, it would be easy to sense it with Haki, even if there was only a little left within her. She felt nothing at first but after awhile she started to sense a faint trace of energy around the second plateau. Okay, now that I know I still have some of this Haki left...

She pooled the energy back in her so that she was no longer sensing a wide range. She directed it towards the edge of the second plateau, where she last saw Zoro. She saw in her mind's eye a small sphere of cool energy out in the distance. It was the same energy she was feeling in the pits of her stomach. The sphere started to morph into more detail and Rei could sense that it was in constant motion like a flickering flame. It was volatile and very active. At the same time the energy within her started to react in a similar fashion. She let the energy pool around her body and acclimate itself in its surroundings. She felt the bloodlust that seeped into her dreams, although this time it was not as strong as before. It was more of a whisper now.

She pulled the Haki closer like how one narrows their eyes to focus their sights and directed it at the sphere in the distance. A thin thread of energy weaved out from within her and towards the sphere. When it connected, she felt a shock go through her body. The spherical energy ahead seemed to still for a moment. Did he feel it too?

The ground started to shake and it broke Rei's concentration. The thread of energy was still connected though as she opened her eyes.

"Rei-sama!" He rushed over to her, dragging the still sleeping Cavendish by the collar. A barrier encircled them just as stone spikes pierced through the ground and plateau wall. It came at them in every direction but the sharp tips broke once it hit the barrier.

"Pica," Rei said softly as she got to her feet. She turned her gaze towards the second plateau but she couldn't see past the edge. She pressed against the barrier to see if she could get a better look. The thread was still there so she knew Zoro was alive.  _Where are you?_

"Bartolomeo," she said, "I think it's over. You can put the barrier down now."

"Whew, that was close!" Bartolomeo removed the barrier and suddenly, the spikes around them were cut in half. They were sliced horizontally and the top half fell to the ground, clearing their view and allowing Rei to see the island. Rei and Bartolomeo turned to see Cavendish. He was returning his shiny sword back to its sheath.

"You're awake," Rei stated.

"And you're a woman," he responded coolly, noticing Rei's long braid. Some of the strands had gotten loose and it was flying in the wind in thin red wisps.

"The less people know about me, the better," she said, "I like to keep a low profile."

"That's impossible," Cavendish scoffed, "You're a Straw Hat Pirate. You guys naturally hog the spotlight."

"Not on purpose, I can assure you," Rei said as she walked over to the edge to get a better look at the second plateau, "Our captain values freedom not fame."

"Well said, Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo cheered, 'Luffy-senpai is going to be the King of Pirates! The freest man on the sea."

It appeared that the second plateau was also filled with spikes. However, the people below did not fare as well as them. There didn't seem to be any one moving. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She concentrated on her thread and followed it along to the sphere. She turned her head to face in that direction before opening her eyes. Zoro was at the very edge of the plateau and he looked to be unharmed.  _Where is Pica?_

As if he knew what she was thinking, Pica's head formed out of the ground below in front of Zoro. It was ten times taller than Zoro. It opened up its jaws and tried to crush Zoro with his stone teeth but Zoro was fast. With his Wado Ichimonji, he sliced the head in half. Rei could hear the piercing voice from the Stone Stone Fruit user but they were too far away for her to make out what they were saying. Zoro cut the head into quarters and then eights. He stopped and lowered his sword.  _Is it over?_

All was still and quiet for a few seconds but Zoro seemed to have tensed up even more. Suddenly, a loud rumbling and crackling sound came from large stone statue in front of the plateau. "Pica!" Rei shouted at the statue as it reformed its giant head and started to rise. It pulled the earth towards it, making the entire island shake. With the earth, it formed feet and legs. It stood up from its ground and cast a dark shadow over the entire island. It started to walk away from the Royal Palace and towards the King's Plateau.

"Don't tell me," Rei gasped, "It's going after King Riku?!"

She turned towards Bartolomeo and Cavendish, who watched the stone statue with widened eyes. "Cavendish!" she shouted, "Can you cut him from here?"

"Are you crazy?!" Cavendish exclaimed, "He's too far away and do you see how big he is?!"

"And I can't make a barrier that big," Bartolomeo added.

Rei turned her focus back on the plateau below and looked down to see if she could locate Zoro but he was no longer there. She concentrated on the thread and realized he was moving towards the statue. She tried to follow her eyes with the movement of the thread. When she finally spotted him, he was already down on the street. She realized that he was too far away to get to Pica in time but then she noticed who he was talking to. "Orlumbus?" she asked herself, tilting her head to the side as she tried to make sense of the pairing. Her eyes widened.  _He can't possibly….but that would mean..._

"King Riku!" Pica's sharp voice rang out through the island. She looked between Zoro and the Pica Statue. He was still moving towards the King's Plateau.

 _I need to buy Zoro some time,_  Rei thought as she took a deep breath,  _and keep him away from Usopp and the others._

She looked over at Bartolomeo. "I'm going to need you to use your power."

"What can I do?" Bartolomeo cried with despair, "I already said I can't create a barrier big enough."

"No, not that power," Rei said.

"I have no other power."

"Yes, you do. I saw you use it in the Colosseum multiple times."

"What are you talking about, Rei-sama?"

"You have the power to anger people,"

"Huh?"

Suddenly Rei sudden burst of laughter.

"AHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH," Rei fake laughed as loudly as she could, "WHAT A STUPID VOICE!"

The air around the island became quite still as everyone froze in place, including Pica.

"HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH," Rei continued, 'That voice! So ridiculous!"

"R-R-R-R-Rei-sama," Bartolomeo trembled in fear. "What are you doing?"

"Please trust me," Rei begged softly. Pica was unmoving. He was torn between his wounded pride and his devotion to Doflamingo. "Please. I can't do this without you. Please help save my friends."

She put her hands on her hips. She took a deep breath in, bending backwards for emphasis and laughed with all her might. "HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA! That voice! In that body!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Rei jumped in surprise as Bartolomeo's laugh was ten times louder than hers. She looked over to see that he had shaped his barrier into a cone. He shouted through it like a megaphone. "A person with that kind of voice must be a sissy! He's a Top Executive?! What a joke!"

The statue of Pica started to turn away from the King's Plateau and towards their direction.

"Why the hell are you sacrificing us?!" Cavendish hissed.

"I'm not,' Rei stated in between her fake laughter with Bartolomeo. "We're not going to die."

"Bring it on you stupid, high-pitched, sissy-voiced bastard!" Bartolomeo shouted.

"How are you going to stop him then?" Cavendish demanded.

"I'm not," Rei replied, "Someone else will."

"Who?!"

Soon Pica was facing them and his eyes shined red with madness. Rei and Bartolomeo continued to laugh. Rei was beginning to feel slightly dizzy from using so much breath. Pica raised his palm over them.

"How dare you," Pica's squeaky voice shook with anger, 'HOW DARE YOU!"

He thrust his palm downwards. Bartolomeo created a small dome barrier over them and sank to his knees but Rei stood tall. She looked defiantly upwards at Pica.

"Rei-sama. I don't know if my barrier will be able to hold him back completely!"

"You are stupid." Rei ignored Bartolomeo and shouted up at Pica. "Only an idiot would need to be told twice that he doesn't have the luxury to go after anyone else. Only a fool would turn his back on-."

His palm was just a few feet away from Rei's face when a familiar voice cried out, "Three Swords Style! Daisen Sekai!"

Instantly, the palm flew backwards and the Pica Statue was cut in half by the waist. The light returned and shined down on Rei's face as she watched Zoro fly through the air. "...the man who is going to be the world's best swordsman," Rei finished softly.

She watched as Pica got cut one slice at a time until he was in thirty different pieces. Granted, they were still fairly large chunks of stone that would kill anyone instantly on impact. Rei knew that Zoro was trying to isolate the man from the stone. Bits of it fell on top of the barrier but these were now manageable portions and they bounced off of the barrier as if it were a trampoline.

"Come out, Pica!" Zoro shouted as he continued to slice up the statue.

"Hnghh," Pica said as he emerged from a section of the stone statue's shoulder as it fell through the air, "Just because you got me cornered, you think you've won?!"

Pica's actual body started to get encased with Armament Haki. "There's no way you can cut me now that I've shielded myself in Haki! After I've pounded you into the ground, you'll be the one who's lost!"

Zoro scoffed, "As long as your Haki is stronger than mine, that is." He raised his swords, "Over the nine mountains, across the eight seas…."

Zoro's blade sliced Pica the man from his shoulder down to his waist and the Top Executive of Doflamingo made no sound as blood poured out of his body. The pain was so severe it had rendered him unconscious.

"...there is nothing I cannot cut!" Zoro started to fall from the air directly above the third plateau. He sheathed his swords and looked down. His eyes locked with Rei's.

"Bartolomeo! The barrier!" Rei shouted without breaking eye contact.

"DDDOOOOOROOO ZENNNPAIIIII!" Bartolomeo exclaimed through his tears and snot. He uncrossed his fingers to wipe away his face and the barrier disappeared. Zoro landed steadily on his feet right in front of Rei. His eye never leaving hers.

"Incoming!" Cavendish shouted and it broke Rei out of her focus on the swordsman and she looked up to see that that the chunks of the statues were falling down to the ground. Some were falling towards them but the largest chunk was falling back towards the King's Plateau.

"Beautiful Sword: Slash: Stardust Prince!"

"Twin Beak Snap!"

"One Sword Style 36 Pound Phoenix!"

The stone pieces turned into pebbles as it fell around Cavendish, Zoro, and Rei. They each held their blades as they watched the largest piece fall towards the King's Plateau.

"KING PUNCH!" Rei heard in the distance right before a large shockwave swept through the air and the large piece burst into a million tiny pieces.

"Oy! Know It All!" Zoro growled at Rei.

She braced herself for Zoro's classic "What the hell did you think you were doing?" lecture and started to turn towards the swordsman. Suddenly, she felt his hand shoot out and grab the back of her neck. Before she could even react, he pulled her forward and kissed her. His frowning lips firmly planted against hers. Her eyes were wide while his was closed. Rei couldn't even breathe as her mind went blank. They stood frozen in place. Neither of them paid attention to the angry shouting of Cavendish or the blubbering cries of Bartolomeo.


	49. the Trade

Zoro was the one who ended the kiss. His hand was still on the back of her neck but it didn't need to be there as Rei was as stiff as a corpse. He didn't know if he expected her to be angry or happy with his sudden gesture. To be honest, he was quite surprised by his impulsive move himself.

He had everything under control. That Admiral guy, or whatever his title was, agreed to throw him at Pica. He was going to save Usopp and former King Whats-His-Name. It was all part of Plan E - fly through the air and slice the bastard up. As soon as he heard Rei's laugh, his blood had turned cold. Yes, she did it to save Usopp but damn it! Couldn't she just stay out of trouble for just one second?!

When he landed onto the plateau, there was not even a trace of worry or fear on her face. She looked at him as if she knew he was going to come all along. He felt relief and a swell of pride that she had complete faith in him. But he also felt something else. Before he knew it, his hand was at her neck and he was kissing her. He realized that he had caught her off guard and this was probably not the right time but he didn't regret a second of it.

He lifted his head and his lips left hers. He expected her to be either angry or in shock. He wasn't much of a gambling man but if he was, he'd bet that this was her first kiss. So when he ended the kiss, he braced himself to be pushed away, slapped, or even screamed at. However, when he opened his eye, he saw that Rei's face was a complete blank and she was staring at him in quiet contemplation. Her face was still red but other that, he couldn't decipher what she was feeling inside.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"What do you mean what was that for?" Zoro snapped back. His pride stung a bit that she was not reacting as outwardly as he thought. This might've been her first kiss but it was also the first time he did something like that to anyone. Sure, he's kissed girls before. It wasn't often and in the rare times that it did, it was not intentional on his end. Girls were usually the one trying to get his attention.

He released his hold and turned his back on her as he pretended to re-tie his swords to his side. He scowled to himself. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Well social protocol-"

"We're pirates, damn it! Social protocol doesn't apply to us so I don't care what your stupid manual states!"

"I know that. I was just going to say that given the current situation, that is not part of any social protocol," Rei rationalized, "So I would like to know why you just….just…"

She could feel her face get hotter but she willed herself to remain in control of her emotions. "Do something like that," she finished.

He turned around and glared at her. "You're a genius. Figure it out."

Rei clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head to the side as she studied Zoro's face. She wasn't sure why he was annoyed at her. Her heart was beating wildly and her mind was going a mile a minute. She didn't understand what just happened. She wondered if this was something Sanji would be able to explain because it didn't seem like Zoro was going to.

 _Kaboom!_  The sudden blast in the distance distracted her from replying back and she ran towards the sound. She stopped at the edge of the plateau and saw the remnants of a smoking building.

"Franky?" Rei asked out loud to herself, "Did he destroyed the SMILE factory?"

"Cyborg Franky-senpai?!" Bartolomeo shrieked. "You mean he's here as well?!"

Rei turned to look at Bartolomeo. For a minute she had forgotten he and Cavendish were there with her and Zoro. "Yes. We're the only ones still remaining on this island. Nami and the rest are away on the Thousand Sunny. I hope they're safe."

She looked up at the Royal Palace above. "Speaking of which, I need to get up there and check on Robin and Rebecca."

She started to run towards the center of the plateau but Zoro's arm shot out in front of her and blocked her way.

"Zoro. What are you-?"

"You're coming with me. We need to find Usopp." He looked over his shoulder at Bartolomeo. "Oy, you and Cabbage guy! I'm leaving Robin and whoever else is up there to you."

"What did you just call me?!" Cavendish exclaimed.

"Zoro, I think-" Rei started to say but Zoro glared down at her.

"There's nothing left for us to do here but there's plenty for us to do down there. The island is still in danger and there are people who are playing Doflamingo's game and hunting Usopp and them."

Rei stood silent for a minute before she pushed his arm down and started to move forward again. He raised his arm back up. This time he wrapped it around her waist to hold her in place. She looked over at him and placed her hand on his shoulder.. "You're right. I'm just going to leave a message for Viola-sama."

"And then you're coming with me."

Rei nodded and he withdrew his arm. She pulled out one of her daggers and started to carve a large message on the side of the plateau.  _Viola-sama, We're coming to you. - Rei_

When she was done, she put the daggers back into her utility belt and nodded again at Zoro. He swiftly turned his back on her and ran out with her following behind. He grabbed her hand at the last minute and pulled her over the edge as he jumped off the plateau. Zoro stuck his Wado Ichimonji into the side of the plateau to slow down their fall.

"DOOOROO-ZENPAI! SO COOL!" Bartolomeo's congested cries rang out overhead.

"Zoro, aren't you afraid of breaking your sword?" Rei asked.

Zoro smirked at Rei. "A chip on the blade is a sign of shame. I would never let that happen."

Rei looked at his blade, which had turned pure black from his Armament Haki, and then back at Zoro. "Mihawk trained you."

Zoro raised his eyebrow, "Have you met him?"

"No but I've heard stories from Uncle Shanks...He says his worst nightmare would be being stuck on a ship with me and Mihawk and no alcohol because no one would ever laugh at his jokes."

Zoro shuddered at the thought and silently agreed with the Red-Haired Pirate. He was interested in hearing the stories Rei knew of Mihawk, though. If it involved any fights between him and Shanks, than that would be a very interesting story indeed.

They made it to the street level and Rei raced ahead. This time she was the one pulling Zoro as she ran towards the King's Plateau.

"Zoro, can you sense how many people are up there?" Rei asked when they arrived at the bottom.

"Can't you? You're Observational Haki is sharper than mine."

"I don't have much Haki left. I can't sense anything right now."

"What?!"

Rei didn't respond because she was already busy climbing up the King's Plateau. Zoro grunted and followed behind her but she had quite a lead on him already.

"How come you can climb so fast?" he called up to her.

"Only someone who never guarded the Wall during hurricane season would ask that," Rei responded without looking down.

Usopp's head poked out from the top. "Zoro! Rei! Give me your hand! I'll help you guys up!"

"We're fine,' Rei said as pulled herself to the top. She wiped her hands on her pants leg and waited for Zoro to appear.

"Rei!" Usopp shouted with relief as he gave her a big hug, "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought it was going to be the end for me and then you distracted him."

Zoro arrived at the top and he scowled at his nakama. "Pretty stupid, if you ask me. I had everything under control. I didn't need her to interfere."

"Uuuuh," Usopp breathed in a sob before launching himself at the swordsman, "ZORO! Thank youuuuuuu! I thought I was going to die!"

"That was splendid, Zoro-dono!" Kin'emon added from behind.

"Yes! Thank you, Pirate Hunter! We thought we were imagining things when we saw you cut that statue in half," shouted a man from a large mob next to Kin'emon.

"Quite the crowd," Rei said she surveyed the sea of faces.

"Wait, you guys!" Zoro pushed Usopp off of him and looked up at the birdcage, "You can be happy once this cage is gone. The fact that it's here means that he's still undefeated."

"Where is Former Princess Viola-sama?" Rei asked the crowd, "Who's left besides Doflamingo?"

"Rei, you can stop with the formalities!" Usopp reminded her.

"It's just 2 left," Viola's voice came from the other end of the plateau. Rei rushed over, pushing people aside to get to the former princess.

Viola was staring ahead towards the Royal Palace but she continued to speak to Rei. "Just Trebol and Doflamingo now but we've lost people on our side as well."

"Who?"

"Bellamy and Trafalgar Law."

"WHAT?! Tra-guy is dead?!" Usopp cried.

"The Hyena guy?" Zoro asked, "I thought he was on Doflamingo's side?"

Viola gasped and her face turned pale. "The cage...it's shrinking. It's cutting through the island."

"Ah!" Usopp screamed, "What the hell do we do? Will the cage be coming here too?"

"Most likely," Rei looked over at the Royal Plateau. "We can't assume the center of the island is the center of the cage. It's safer to assume that the center is wherever Doflamingo is."

"LUFFY!" Usopp shouted towards the palace, "Hurry! Take Doflamingo out! It's the only way!"

"Now this is a little harsh to think that Luffy-dono has to shoulder the fate of the entire country…" Kin'emon said before shouting at the Royal Plateau as well, "Luffy-dono! Do your best!"

"All of this falls on Luffy? Like hell it is," Zoro growled as he reached for his swords instinctively.

Zoro's words caught Rei's attention and she looked at him just in time to see him grip his swords. Her eyes widened. Zoro caught her stare and he cocked his head. "What is it, Know It All?"

"You trained with Mihawk."

"So?"

Rei put her hands on his and pried them from the sword hilts. She pulled them out and left his palms facing upwards before putting her daggers into his hand. "Earlier, I was able to cut one of the Doflamingo's puppet strings as long as I used my Armament Haki." She paused and looked up. "The birdcage strings are thicker so I don't think I'd be able to cut them even if I did have all of my Haki restored but you...You trained with Mihawk."

"Huh?"

She closed his fist around her daggers and then looked up at him. "A black blade with Sea Prism Stone. It's worth a shot."

"Rei, you don't think Zoro could-" Usopp started to say.

"Besides defeating Doflamingo, this is our second best option," Rei answered without taking her eyes off of Zoro, "We can't leave it all to Luffy."

Zoro swung the chains over his shoulder. "Kin! Bring your friend. We're going to stop the cage," he shouted to the samurai.

He looked back at Rei and ignored Kin'emon's alarmed response. "If I can't cut it, we can at least push against it and maybe hold it off. Give Luffy some more time."

He hesitated for a moment but then pulled out his Wado Ichimonji and placed it in Rei's hands.

"I'm not leaving you completely weaponless," Zoro said softly so only Rei could hear him, "I know you can use a sword so use this one. This was entrusted to me by Kuina's family and now I'm temporarily entrusting it to you."

Rei eyes widened. She recognized the name and she started to protest, "No. This sword is too important. I can't-"

"You're important to me too." Zoro hissed. He pressed his forehead against hers and glared into her eyes. "I wouldn't give this sword to you if I didn't think you could handle it. It's a trade, that's all. You gave me your weapons so I'm giving you mine."

"Are you sure?" Rei whispered.

"Ah." Zoro smirked and he lifted his head. "Kuina might actually prefer to have a woman wield this sword for once anyways."

"I'll return this to you," Rei promised, "I won't let anything happen to it."

"How much time do you think we have before the whole island is sliced?" Zoro shouted at Viola, ending the conversation.

"30 minutes but that's only if it keeps at this rate," Viola replied back, "It might speed up."

"Then we don't have much time then," Zoro said as he turned to walk away, "Kin! Come on!"

"Zoro-dono, climb down this way," Kin'emon called out. He gestured toward the opposite direction, "Kanjuro can draw us ladders."

"Kanjuro? Draw?" Zoro asked.

Kin'emon pointed at a large man dressed in a kabuki make-up and attire. He held up a large paint brush. "Allow me, Zoro-dono!"

"So you found your friend," Rei said to Kin'emon, "Now we just have to get you to Zou and Momo."

"Ah, Dragon Rider! Thank you for remembering my situation during a time like this," Kin'emon said gratefully.

"Why are you thanking me?" Rei asked, "We need to reunite with our nakama just as much as you need to get to your son. It's our mutual interest."

"Just say 'You're welcome' like a normal person," Usopp hissed at Rei.

"There! The ladders are done!" Kanjuro said as he pointed over the edge of the plateau.

Zoro looked down. "Huh?! Those ladders are the most crooked ladders I've ever seen. Do you not know how to draw in a straight line?!"

"I'm climbing down too," Rei said as she tucked the sword so that it hung on her utility belt.

"Know It All-"

"I'll help the townspeople run towards the center for safety. If you are able to cut the strings, I can lead them to the opening too," Rei said.

Viola stepped forward. "I'll come too and let you know if they are successful."

"Don't leave me alone up here!" Usopp added as he rushed to Rei's side too.

"Alright," Zoro growled, "We don't have much time. Let's go!"

"Yosh!" Rei and Usopp said in response as they followed him down the plateau.


	50. Hope

Rei ran her hand along the hilt and partially down the scabbard of Zoro's prized sword. She didn't know what shocked her more, the fact that he gave her a kiss or his sword. What did this all mean? Her head felt cloudy, which terrified her. She needed to be focused and the last thing she should be thinking of was that man. Of all people besides Rei, he'd be the one to understand that there was no place for distractions on a battlefield or a pirate ship!

She let go of the sword and put her hand on her chest to feel her heart beating. It was now back to it's normal pace. Is it because he was no longer near her or was it because she finally had regained control of herself? Feeling her heart beat reminded her of his Haki and her head turned foggier. Did she feel this way because of their shared Haki? Was she important to him because he felt territorial since she had a part of him in her? Or did he just feel obligation? The man came with a lot of unanswered questions and that never sat well with Rei.

"I still don't understand why we have to wear the same outfit," Usopp grumbled. It snapped Rei out of her thoughts and she looked over at him.

Before Zoro and the samurais split from her and Usopp, Zoro had demanded Kin'emon create a set of clothes for Rei.

"Why are you wasting time giving me clothes?" Rei had asked.

"You are a mess and your clothes are torn. You just look like an easy target," Zoro had snapped, "At least cover yourself a bit!"

"You  _do_  look like you have been fighting all day," Usopp had agreed.

"Because I have been."

Still, Rei's protest did not stop Zoro for placing a rock on her head. "Kin!" he ordered.

"Yes, Zoro-dono!"

With a poof, Rei was back in a black cloak and Kin'emon even made a mask for her. She looked just like how they met back on Punk Hazard except this mask was black with a white dragon bordering the right side.

"Kin'emon…" Rei had said in surprise. Her hand went up to touch the mask.

"Since you do not have your usual weapons, I thought giving you your most familiar attire might help in some way, Dragon Rider," Kin'emon had said.

"Thank you," Rei had replied.

"What about me?!" Usopp had exclaimed, "I'm the one with the biggest bounty right now!"

 _Poof!_  Soon, Usopp found himself in the exact same outfit as Rei but with a hole in his mask that allowed his long nose to stick out.

"What the hell?! Why are we wearing the same thing?" Usopp had complained but no one paid him any attention.

"What are you going to do once you cut the cage?" Rei had asked.

"Stop the rest of the cage from moving," Zoro had answered.

"What?!" Kin'emon and Kanjuro had shouted at the same time.

Zoro turned and glared at the samurai. "Even if I cut the cage, it can still kill the people who won't be able to make it to the opening in time. If we slow it down or delay it, we can at least give them a chance to escape and give Luffy more time."

"That won't work, Zoro-dono," Kin'emon had argued.

"You don't know that!" Zoro had snapped back.

"The chains," Rei had said, "You can use them to pull the bird cage back once you get to the other side."

"Ah," Zoro had agreed. Then he turned away from Rei and ran off towards the east. "I'll be back for my sword."

"Ah," Rei had called after him with a short wave.

"Ugh, how do you see through this mask, Rei?" Usopp complained as he adjusted it on his face.

"You get used to it," Rei said. She pulled the hood of her cloak further over her head so that it covered her hair fully. "We need to evacuate the west side. Let's go."

With that, she turned and ran. "There's a hospital up ahead," Viola informed them as she and Usopp ran after Rei. "There might be some people there who will need help."

The combination of all the fights and wounds Rei had gotten during the day were really taking a toll on her so Usopp and Viola were able to catch up in no saw the hospital in the distance. A man was out in the front and he was yelling out in panic. "We've still got a few patients left in the hospital! I can't get them out on my own. Please, somebody help!"

An elderly grandmother stumbled as she ran past Rei and fell to the ground. A young child hurried over to her side. "Grandma, we have to run! The strings will get us if we don't."

"I can't...run anymore…" gasped the elderly woman.

Rei stopped in her tracks to help out the pair but before she could bend down, Usopp stopped her. "Go to the hospital, Rei! I'll help these two."

Rei gave a small nod and she ran towards the hospital again.

"I can't find my child!" a woman screamed off in the distance, "Have you seen him?!"

"I can help!" Viola quickly called out and she rushed off to help her people.

Rei approached the man at the hospital. He wasn't wearing a white coat so Rei wasn't sure if he was a doctor but there was no time to be bothered with those details. "I can help. How many people are left?"

"There's 6 patients left but I can't carry them out on my own," the man said as he nervously eyed Rei up and down, "Are you sure you can help?"

"I'm stronger than I look," Rei said, "Are they in their beds?"

"Yes and they can't walk," the man replied.

"And the beds have wheels?" Rei asked.

The man nodded. Rei pushed him into the hospital so that he can show her where the patients are. Within minutes, Rei had all six of them out of the door. She used their blankets to tie the ends of the bed like a rope and gathered four blankets in her hands while she gave the other two to the man. They pulled the beds behind them and out of the hospital.

Rei stopped and looked back at the hospital as the man moved forward. "Hey!" he shouted back at her, "What are you doing? We need to keep going!"

"Just a second," Rei said as she dashed back in. "Go ahead. I'll catch up."

"What do you mean-?" the man started to say but Rei was already gone.

When she was inside, she had noticed a medical supply closet and she hurried back to it. She stuffed her utility belt with as much gauze, medicine, and ointments as she could get her hands on. When she could carry no more, she ran back outside, picked up the blankets again, and started to pull the patients forward,

The man had waited for Rei as he didn't think she'd be able to catch up and he didn't want to abandon the sick. He knew how much he underestimated her though when she dashed off in front of him with twice the number of people he was carrying.

She led the group right below the Royal Plateau. She was happy to see Usopp coming with a group of other townspeople along with the grandmother and granddaughter from earlier. She raised two fingers in the air and gave a quick wave to signal Usopp to come to her.

The man from the hospital was covered in sweat. "What are we doing here?!" he cried, "We need to get to the center of town. This is not the center!"

"Believe me, you'll be safer here than in the center," Rei said.

 _Cacha._  Before the man could ask anymore questions, he was interrupted by a sound of static coming from the PA system. He and Rei looked around to find the source.

"My people can you hear me?" came a rough, tired voice over the intercom, "I am..the former King of Dressrosa...Riku Dold III. Allow me to explain what is happening to this country."

"King Riku," the man from the hospital murmured while Rei rushed back towards the west side of the island.

"We're all stuck in a gigantic birdcage set up by Doflamingo," King Riku continued, "His idea of an escape game, as he says, and to make things worse, the birdcage is getting smaller and smaller and slicing everything in its way. This is the reality we're in."

"Head to the Royal Plateau!" Rei cried out to the people she ran past. They were frozen in place as they listened to King Riku's announcement. All of them were oblivious to Rei.

"We have been under this pirate for ten long years. We were in a cage called Dressrosa. Living puppets under his control for ten long, long years. This is also reality," King Riku said, "But all this ends today!"

He took a deep breath. "The Donquixote Family which everyone thought of as invincible has fallen with the help of these brave warriors and is now close to destruction. The Top Executives of the Family are no more. The only enemy left is the current King of Dressrosa!"

"What?!" The people gasped.

"The one fighting him right now is a pirate, Straw Hat Luffy!" King Riku exclaimed, "I'm sure he'll also be the one that'll break this cage for us. Whether we win or lose will be decided in a matter of minutes by him. Some of his friends and my own daughter, Viola, is among you and they're trying to help us escape. So please listen to them if you see them. Run and try to live. Don't push and run over each other. Keep running. Even when you're out of breath, or even if your legs are broken. Please live on!"

He drew in another ragged breath and his voice shook at his last request. "There's always hope! Please, don't give up!"

There was a moment of silence as the people of Dressrosa took in their leader's words.

Rei decided to use that moment to her advantage. "Head to the bottom of the Royal Plateau! You'll be safer there than the center of town."

They blinked at her, unsure if she could be trusted.

"Please, listen to her!" Viola's voice cried out from the distance and she ran forward with another group of civilians, "Please run towards the Royal Plateau!"

"It's Viola-sama!" someone shouted, "They're here to help! It's as King Riku said. Let's go everyone!"

The crowd shouted encouragingly and they all rushed forward towards the Royal Plateau. Some even picked up the ones who were too injured to run fast enough.

Viola looked at Rei.

"Has Zoro cut the strings yet?" Rei asked her.

Viola shook her head. "He hasn't reached the edge yet but he's almost there."

Suddenly, some of the buildings started to turn into strings and they stretched high into the sky. Viola gasped and focused her eyes to the sky where the strings were reaching towards.

"He awakened his fruit powers," Rei murmured to herself as she stared up at the sky as well, even though she couldn't see anything.

"Oy! What's happening and what do you mean by awakened?!" Usopp asked. He had rushed over when he noticed something had caught Rei and Viola's attention. He yelped as he saw the strings waving in the sky. "Is that from Doflamingo's powers?!"

"It's a higher stage of a Devil Fruit user," Rei said softly, "I've only heard rumors and theories about it so I didn't quite believe it myself…"

"Believe what?!" Usopp asked.

"Once awakened, a paramecia Devil Fruit user would be able to manipulate not only his body but his surroundings as well," Rei said, "I guess Doflamingo can turn anything into his strings."

"WHAT?!" Usopp screamed.

"And how does one awaken it?" Viola asked.

"I don't know…" Rei confessed.

"What's happening?" Usopp shouted, "Where are the strings going?"

Viola focused her eyes and then she gasped. "Straw Hat Luffy!"

"Luffy?!" Rei and Usopp shouted as they looked up and around for their captain.

There was suddenly a loud crash overhead. They looked towards the sound and saw that it had come from the side of the Royal Plateau. Smoke was coming out of it and bits of rock were crumbling downwards.

"He won?!" Viola exclaimed as her eyes gazed into the distance.

"REALLY?!" Usopp gasped but Rei quickly put her hand on his shoulder. He looked over at her and she pointed upwards.

"The strings…" she said worriedly, "They're still there."

"GOMU GOMU NO…." a voice shouted from above.

Luffy finally came into their line of sight but he did not look like his normal self at all. His top half was practically a balloon and it was coated with dark Armament Haki. His arms were also massive and at least quadruple his usual size. One of his fists was actually retracted into his arm like a cannon waiting to burst forth.

"I've never seen him like that before," Usopp said in shock.

'How is he flying?" Rei wondered out loud.

Luffy launched himself forward. His target was the somewhat conscious Doflamingo, who was lodged in the middle of the plateau with his arms out like a cross.

"Just one more blow…" Rei said softly as Luffy got closer and closer.

 _BANG_!

Suddenly, before Luffy could connect with the King of Dressrosa, he was flying backwards at a breakneck speed and crash landed in the center of the island.

"WHAT?!" Usopp screamed as he and Rei raced after his captain, "Luffy?!"

"Wiihahahaha!" came a familiar laugh behind them and Rei's blood ran cold.

"Who is that?" Usopp asked looking backwards.

"Burgess," Rei said. She skidded to a halt to find their captain sprawled on the floor. A crowd of people circled him but they were too scared to approach him. Quickly, Rei and Usopp rushed to the center and Rei rested Luffy's head on her lap. She looked back at the Royal Plateau, towards Burgess.

"Luffy, are you okay?" Usopp shouted down at their captain.

"Soge-king? Is that you? Did you change your mask?" Luffy asked.

"What are you talking about?" Rei responded in confusion, "Do you not recognize-?"

"Yes! It's me, Soge-King!" Usopp said in a deeper voice, "I had to change my mask to avoid detection temporarily."

"What?" Rei was baffled by what was happening.

"Wiihahahhaha!" Burgess' laugh carried through the air. Rei looked back at him. The smoke was clearing up and she turned just in time to see him jump down to the street below.

"Lucy! You're Lucy, right?! It's me, Gatz! I'm the MC back at the Colosseum."

Rei whirled around and was startled to see the announcer of the Colosseum leaning over Luffy.

"Yeah," Luffy huffed between breaths as Gatz and Usopp lifted him up by his arms.

"I knew it!" Gatz exclaimed, "You don't see that many small guys out there who can fight like you but where's your friend? Raymond?"

"Oy, Gatz," Rei said with her two fingered wave as she stood with her back towards them. She raised her sword and guarded their front. She wasn't sure who was going to get to them first, Doflamingo or Jesus Burgess. Either way, Rei was determined to protect her captain.

"Raymond, is that you?!" Gatz shouted at her back, "Doflamingo's coming! What are we going to do now?"

"I need 10 minutes," Luffy gasped weakly, "I lose all my Haki for 10 minutes after I've used Gear Fourth."

Usopp gaped at his captain. "Gear Fourth?! You have a fourth gear?!"

"10 minutes…" Rei said before Luffy could respond, "That's all you need?"

"And then you can save us from the birdcage?" Gatz asked the Straw Hat.

"Ah," Luffy said and his eyes narrowed in determination, "I promise you!"

"10 minutes it is then," Gatz said before yelling to the crowd behind him, "Let's go, men!"

To Rei's astonishment, hundreds of men began to pour out from the crowd and they forward past her. She recognized some of the faces and realized they were previous contestants in the Colosseum.

"Warriors from the fight?" she asked Gatz.

"The ones that didn't help you guys back then," Gatz explained, "The ones after your bounty."

"Sorry, Lucy!" one of the men shouted, "Shouldn't have let the money get to me."

"As an apology," another man added, "We believe in you this time. Our lives are in your hands and if we die before that, then we've tried our best."

Rei put Zoro's sword back in her scabbard and ran to her captain. She took Gatz place. "We'll take him from here."

Gatz nodded in understanding and then shouted to the men. "Alright, half of you come with me!"

They ran forth with Rei and Usopp running deeper into the town with Luffy hanging in between them.

"Rei," Luffy breathed, "Is that Zoro's sword?"

"Long story, Captain," Rei said, "Get some rest."

Suddenly, the building to the side of them started to crack. Rei and Usopp turned to see what had caused it and then Burgess burst through the building.

"Wiihahahahaha! I found you!" he cheered in delight.

"Take Luffy and run," Rei said as she dropped her hold on Luffy and pushed Usopp forward.

"But what about-"

"Go ahead!" Rei ordered.

"Not so fast!" Burgess cried. He lunged forward with his elbow recharged and a spear in his hand. He flew over Rei. "Die, Straw Hat!"

Usopp tried to back out of the way but he tripped over his feet. He crashed to the ground with Luffy falling ontop of him. "Ahhhhhh!" Usopp screamed.

 _Clang_!

It took a moment for Usopp to realize he was alive. He looked up directly above him to find Rei's face peering down. Luffy, who was splayed on top of Usopp, raised his head as well and looked over at Burgess.

"Sabo!" Luffy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rei!" Usopp said at the same time.

Rei let go of Usopp's collar. She had ran as fast as she could past Burgess and had grabbed Usopp to pull him and Luffy out of the way. If Burgess' spear had connected, it would have landed just inches away from Usopp and Luffy's feet. She looked over at the person who stood opposite her at Usopp and Luffy's feet.

The blonde revolutionary grinned down at the Straw Hat captain. He had knocked Burgess back with his pipe. He adjusted his top hat and gave Luffy a grin. He then pointed his pipe back at Burgess, who glared at him from the ground.

"I'm Sabo of the revolutionary army," he declared, "and Straw Hat Luffy is my brother. You have some beef with him, Burgess?"

"Straw Hat? Your brother?" Burgess coughed, "I feel like I've heard that before."

"Fire Fist Ace must've mentioned it. We were all brothers," Sabo said, "The Banaro Incident, the Blackbeard Pirates capturing Ace, and then the horrible summit war…."

He tightened his gloves around his fingers. "It was Ace's life and I'm not holding you responsible for it but…"

He glared at Burgess. "From now on, I have Luffy's back. Remember that well!"

"Wiihahahha!" Burgess laughed as he got to his feet, "I don't give a damn about your relationship with him. Don't get in my way! This has nothing to do with the revolutionaries! This has nothing to do with you."

"Are you sure about that?" Sabo said as the tip of his index finger bursted into flame. "I believe I have something you want."

"The Flame-Flame fruit?!" Burgess gasped. "What?! But I saw Lucy eat that fruit!"

Sabo smirked and turned to Luffy. "Hey Luffy, that's some beating you took. Doflamingo's coming from the other side and I'm going to have my hands full with Burgess."

"It's okay," Luffy said, "I have Rei and Usopp with me. Katz and his people will buy me some time."

"It's Gatz!" Gatz corrected from the sidelines.

"I will take Mingo down." Luffy said, ignoring the announcer.

"His weakness is his back," Rei informed Sabo as she helped Usopp get to his feet, "His attacks are all from the front and straight on. Attacking him from the side and the back is your best bet."

"Thanks," Sabo said, "I can handle him."

Rei hoisted one of Luffy's arm around her shoulders and Usopp did the same. "We'll see when this is all over."

"Ah," Sabo replied and Rei and Usopp ran off in the opposite direction.

"Rei," Usopp asked as they ran, "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here," Rei replied, "We need to hide Luffy."

"Rei-sama! This way!" Viola's voice called out from the side of an alleyway. Rei and Usopp hurried forward to her.

Viola led Usopp and Rei through an intricate alleyway. The crashes and fighting behind them started to get quieter and quieter as they wove in and out of the city streets with Viola as their navigator. Finally when they reached an abandoned dead end, they set Luffy down against the wall.

"Rei-sama," Viola said softly, "The swordsman has approached the east end."

"Did he cut them yet?!" Usopp asked.

"No, not yet but he's about to," Viola said.

Rei looked up towards the bird cage on the east end of the island. _Please, let it work..._

"He's pulled out your daggers," Viola reported, "And his arm is starting to turn black."

Rei held her breath. Her hand naturally went to her side and she clutched Zoro's Wado Ichimonji.  _Please._

Deep inside her, she could feel her Haki start to condense. She closed her eyes and focused her energy. She sent the energy outward, spreading as thin and wide as if casting a net. She inhaled a quick breath when she located Zoro at the edge of the island. It wasn't the fact that she could sense him...It was as if she could almost see exactly what he was doing. The shape of his Haki was no longer just a green orb. It had a head, body, and limbs. It was in the shape of Zoro.  _He has that much Haki in him?!,_  Rei thought with alarm.

"He's getting ready for the strike….He's raising the daggers..." Viola said, which matched exactly what Rei was seeing.

_TWANG!_

A resounding noise sent shockwaves through the island. It sounded like a million piano wires snapping at the same time. A large chunk of strings from the east side of the bird cage was gone.

"We are free!" Viola cheered, "We have hope!"


	51. Countdown

Rei let out a breath of relief and she looked over at Usopp and Luffy. Usopp was cheering but Luffy was already passed out.

"STRAW HAT LUFFY!" Doflamingo's voice thundered through the island, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Hundreds of screams filled the air as building after building turned into string. The strings shot up into the air like tentacles as they reached around in an effort to find Luffy.

"EEEP!" Usopp squealed in fright as he fell back on the ground.

"Viola-sama," Rei instructed, "Can you please give me your transponder snail?"

"Oh!" Viola said in surprise as she pulled it out and handed it to Rei, "I forgot I even had that. Who are you going to call?"

"Robin," Rei said as she connected the snail.

Puru-puru-puru-puru. Puru-puru-puru-puru. Catcha.

"Hello?"

"It's Rei. I'm here with Luffy and Usopp."

"Are you guys alright?! Where's Doflamingo?"

"No time to explain. I need to speak to you and Bartolomeo."

"Of course. He's right here," Robin said, not surprised at all that Rei knew who she was with.

"Rei-sama! I'm here!" Bartolomeo exclaimed through the snail, "I have safely brought Robin-senpai, Rebecca, and the gladiator down to the third level! Cavendish and Law are still up on the Royal Plateau."

"I need you and Robin to do something for me," Rei said.

"Anything for you, Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo shouted.

"Robin, I need you to grab as many people as you can from the western side of the island and help them run towards the east. There's an opening there that Zoro had cut."

"Zoro cut the strings?! Is that the sound that we heard!?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Rei said.

"DORO-ZENPAI IZ DOO GOOL!" Bartolomeo weeped openly. "Ahhh! Just when I thought he was already awesome, he does something EVEN MORE awesome!"

"Please pull yourself together, Chicken-Kun," Robin said sternly.

"Bartolomeo, I need you to gather all the fighters still standing on the second plateau and get them to help push against the birdcage," Rei ordered.

"WHAT?!" Bartolomeo yelled, "Why would we do that?!"

"That's what Zoro is doing now to give the people more time to escape," Rei explained.

"And your robot friend and the Tontattas in the factory too," Viola added.

"Franky?" Robin asked in surprise, "Franky is pushing too?"

"Ahhhh! It's like I'm part of the Straw Hat crew now. Oh! How bold of me to make such a suggestion," Bartolomeo interrupted.

"Okay and what about Luffy?" Robin said, ignoring Crest Head.

"Viola-sama will explain," Rei said as she tossed the snail back to Viola, who caught it and gave Rei a confused look.

Rei, however, was focused on Usopp now. "I need you to get the people to the east side of the island."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Usopp cried.

"You're God Usopp, aren't you?" Rei asked.

He blinked for a minute and then swiftly took off his cloak and mask, which returned back into rocks. He scrambled to his feet and kicked in a door from a nearby building and dashed in. Within a few minutes, he appeared on the rooftop.

"Island of Dressrosa!" he cried out, "All those who still have strength, please head towards the eastern side of the island! There's an opening there from the birdcage."

"It's God Usopp!" some of the people shouted from below, "He set us free!"

"You! Navy people!" Usopp shouted, "Head to the western side of the island and help the people there get to the opening."

"Screw you," Rei heard a man say, "Why should we take orders from a pirate?"

"Listen to him," came a gruff voice.

Rei instantly recognized the voice. "Fujitora!"

She ran through the doorway and up the stairs to find Usopp. When she got to him, she stared down at the streets below and saw the blind Navy Admiral at the foot of their building.

"Regardless of who is giving the orders, our priority is to keep the civilians safe," he said softly but sternly to his men, "We will help."

"Let us help too! We want to protect our own people!" a couple of sturdy citizens from Dressrosa shouted in response.

"Okay!" Usopp said, "Whoever is strong enough to help, go towards the western side and evacuate the people there. Everyone else, go towards the east!"

"And if any of you are Haki users, please help push the bird cage," Rei added.

"What?!" the crowd shouted back.

"How dare you question us, you heathens?!" Usopp thundered back.

"God Usopp has spoken!" the crowd cried in fear as they dispersed.

Suddenly, a thin transparent dome came around the building and then with a pop, Trafalgar Law was sitting cross legged next to Rei's feet.

"Tra-guy?!" Usopp said in surprise.

He was in bad shape and out of breath. "Aren't you guys running a little too far?" he panted up at Rei.

"Your arm…" Rei said, noticing the bandage tied around his arm, which was doing poorly as blood was still dripping out from it. She knelt to the ground and pulled out some gauze from her belt. She started to retie the bandage to stop the building.

"Oy, Rei-ya! This is not the time-" Law said and then he noticed how she was bandaging him, "Elastic bandage? How did you-"

"I've had minor medical training on battlefield wounds," Rei responded as she secured the ends with a small but firm knot. "That should secure it for now."

"Not important. How long until his Haki returns?" Law asked.

"About 5 minutes more," Rei replied.

"Leave the rest to me then," Law said and he peered over the building down towards the Straw Hat. "You left him there by himself, Rei-ya?"

"Of course not. He's down there with Viola-sama," Rei said with a frown.

"It's just Straw Hat-ya, down there."

Rei rushed to the edge of the building and was startled to see that Law was right. She felt a pit in her stomach.

"Where'd she go?!" Usopp asked.

"To attend to some family business," Rei said as she rushed down the steps.

"What? Is her father in danger?" Usopp called after her.

"Not that family!" Rei answered back as she got to the street level. Usopp was right by her feet and she turned to him, "Stay with Luffy and Law."

"What are you going to do?"

"Find Viola...and Doflamingo," Rei said.

"We'll come too," Law said from the doorway.

Rei spun around to see Law fully standing and not breathing heavily anymore. "How? You're injuries…"

Suddenly, small transparent fluffs floated down on them from the sky. When they connected with Rei's skin, she instantly felt as if she had just woken up from a long nap. The wounds from her hands and legs were gone as well. "The heal-heal fruit," she murmured softly.

"Whoa!" Usopp cried as the fluffs touched his skin, "The burning in my mouth is gone!"

"The must be Princess Mansherry's power," Rei said as she scoured the sky. Finally, in the distance she spotted a tiny cub beetle fluttering in the distance.

"Thank you!" she called out and waved her hand out to them. She turned to Usopp. "This is only temporary but we need to take advantage of it. Pick up Luffy, we're going to find Viola."

"But wouldn't that mean bringing Luffy to Doflamingo?!" Usopp gasped.

"We'll stay a safe distance away," Law said as he went to Luffy and picked him up with his good arm. Usopp hurried over to share the load.

_Click._

Usopp looked down in surprise to see Rei had strapped her utility belt aorund his waist.

"Rei, what's this for?" he asked.

"There's medical supplies in there," Rei said, "Just in case.."

"Just in case what?!"

Rei ignored him and ran towards the screaming. It was easy to locate where Doflamingo was because many injured people were running from the same direction. They were running away from a cluster of buildings that had turned into strings. Law and Usopp ran behind Rei, only being slightly slowed down by the additional weight of Luffy.

"Rei-ya, we'll be close by," Law said as he and Usopp diverted down another road.

"Ah!" Rei said giving him a short wave while she ran towards the strings. She gripped Zoro's Wado tightly to her, weaving in and out of the crowd like a salmon going upstream.  _Come on, Viola-sama...Where are you?_

"Viola-san!"

Rei's head turned towards the scream. Rebecca! Rei pulled out the sword and ran forward as fast as she could. The scream seemed to come from just behind one of the buildings on a main road. Rei rounded the corner and skidded to a halt.

In the distance she saw the looming figure of Doflamingo. Standing in front of him was Viola. She was bleeding from the head and there cuts all over her body. Her arms were raised over her head and she was frozen. Across from her, Rebecca stood with her sword out and pointed in Viola's direction.

"Viola-san," Rebecca said shakily, "My body is moving on its own…."

"Stop it!" Viola screamed at Doflamingo, who was controlling the both of them with his puppet strings, "Leave Rebecca alone."

Rei rushed forward.

"Viola-san," Rebecca sobbed, taking an involuntary step forward, "Please move out of the way!"

Rei coated Wado Ichimonji with Armament Haki. It was grey and paled in comparison to Zoro's black but Rei was conserving as much of her restored Haki as she could.

"Close your eyes, Rebecca!" Viola pleaded to her niece, "You don't have to watch this! This is a nightmare, so forget everything. No matter what it is!"

"Viola-san!" Rebecca screamed as she took another step. Her sword rose higher.

"One-sword style!" Rei yelled as she leapt into the air, "Sword Wing Gust!"

_Shiiiiing!_

She swung her sword out like a bat. The blade cutting through the strings over Rebecca's body. Rebecca collapsed onto the ground.

A vein throbbed along Doflamingo's forehead but his cheshire cat grin remained on his face. Rei could see herself in the reflection of his sunglasses as he leered down at her. "'Red Ghost' Rei," Doflamingo said through his clenched teeth, "How kind of you to drop in."

"Rei-san?!" Rebecca gasped at the cloaked figure.

"Leave them alone," Rei said, gripping the sword tighter in her hand, "Haven't they been through enough?"

"It's enough," Doflamingo raised his hand as well as his voice, "When I say it's enough!"

He brought his hand down with his palms flattened out. "Parasite!"

Rei jumped backed. She put Zoro's sword back in its scabbard and did a back handspring just as a rain of Doflamingo's strings came flying down from the sky. They hit the floor in a linear fashion while Rei somersaulted out of the way.

Doflamingo chuckled to himself as he watched her flip and dodge his attack. "Clever girl. You figured out that you can only cut other people's strings. Let's see how long you can keep running."

He raised his hand again and prepared to bring down another set. Rei quickly skidded to a halt and ran towards him. She drew her sword but then, to Doflamingo's surprise, she placed it in her mouth. He scoffed and brought down his hands. His strings caught her just as she was inches away from him and shoulder to shoulder to Viola. Rei froze in place.

"Rei-san!" Rebecca cried.

Shiiing!

Viola dropped to the floor and Doflamingo looked at Rei in surprise. Rei unclenched her jaw and Zoro's sword fell to the floor. "They could talk…" Rei said softly as she dangled in front of Doflamingo helplessly, "I figured if Viola and Rebecca could still talk while being caught, that means their heads could still move."

With a pop, both Viola and Rebecca disappeared with only two stones in their place.

The vein in Doflamingo's head throbbed even bigger as he looked around the rooftops. "Law…Well I guess he can watch this then," he muttered. He turned his anger towards Rei. "You….You're willing to die in their place?"

Rei smirked at him. "What makes you think you can kill me?"

Doflamingo flexed his fingers. "Pentachromatic String."

"Gahhhh." Five sharp strings cut across Rei. She was flung backwards and landed on her stomach. Blood dripped down her face. Her whole body shook but she was still caught in his strings.

Doflamingo walked over to her and pointed his index finger at her back. "Fufufufufu," he laughed, "Such big talk for a bug caught in my web."

"I'm...i'm just here to keep the spider occupied," Rei panted, "Until the bird comes to eat him up."

Catcha.

Doflamingo looked up at the sky. Who the hell is using the PA system?!

"Right everybody!" Gatz shouted through the island, "Just a little more patience! The Star is reborn! The man who appeared radiant in today's tournament, our gallant star! I have not forgotten!"

Rei smiled to herself as she drifted in and out of consciousness.  _10 more seconds…_

"Gatz…." Doflamingo hissed to the air.

"He tamed that terrifying bull," Gatz continued, "He brought down a giant tall enough to touch the clouds. He shattered the living legend, Don Chinjao."

_9…_

"In the hearts of all those in the Colosseum...No...in this country, he lit a fire of passion!"

_8…._

"In all my years, I have never seen anyone fight as freely and as captivatingly as he!"

_7…_

"His name…!" Gatz bellowed through the speakers, "is Lucy!"

_6…_

"In truth, Lucy is known by another name. 'Straw Hat' Luffy!"

_5…_

"We, who were deceived by and ruled over for so many years by a pirate, may have trouble placing our faith in one but…"

_4…_

"...this pirate is nothing like the Donquixote that appeared that fateful night, 10 years ago, wearing that illusory mask of a hero!"

_3…_

"The true king, Lord Riku himself, has declared this man our hope. Right now, this man wounded in battle lies on the ground but know this, Dressrosa, Lucy has promised us the following!"

_2..._

"He will K.O. Doflamingo in a single blow!"

"Gattttzzzz!" Doflamingo shouted angrily into the sky.

"Can you hear me, Doflamingo? You, who manipulated our king! You, who deceived the world! You're a false ruler! Dressrosa shall be your gallows!"

_1..._

"The star born in our Colosseum, Lucy, shall rise again!"

Doflamingo narrowed his eyes and turned his attention back to Rei. His index finger was still positioned at her back. He put a foot on her back and stepped down on her.

Rei flinched and gasped in pain but made no attempt to scream or cry. "Prepare to die," he said with his foot still on her back.

Rei closed her eyes.

Doflamingo steadied his hand and this time he aimed his index finger at the back of Rei's head. "Bullet String."

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Doflamingo's foot left Rei's back as the Warlord was flung backwards. His bullet strings shot into the air as his whole hand was tipped up.

Rei opened her eyes to see two sandals right near her nose. She raised her eyes as far up as she could and saw a familiar straw hat hanging on its owner's back.

"The star has arriveeeeed!" Gatz announced to the island, "Luccyyyyyyy!"

"Luffy…." Rei panted.

Luffy knelt down and looked at her. There was no grin on his face or excitement in his eyes. Instead, it was a look of pure white rage. She felt him press something heavy in her hand and then he walked away.

_Pop!_

In a blink of an eye, she found herself reunited with Law and Usopp on a rooftop overlooking Doflamingo and Luffy. She could finally move again. She lifted her head and looked down at her hand to see that Luffy had given her back Zoro's Wado.

Rebecca and Viola rushed to Rei's side and tried to help her to her feet but Rei quickly pushed them away. "I'm fine," she grunted. She sat up and walked over to the edge of the roof where Usopp was standing. She left a trail of blood as she walked.

"Rei-san…" Rebecca started to say but Rei ignored her.

She stood side by side with the Straw Hat's sniper. She'll rest when her captain does.

"Ever white!" Doflamingo shouted.

The whole town turned into an ocean of white string. It rippled, increasing in its momentum, until it flung Luffy backwards.

"Lucy!" Rebecca screamed.

"A thousand arrows," Doflamingo commanded as the ends of the strings curved upwards, surrounding Luffy. They formed into groups of string with sharp points at the end. "Flap thread."

The sharp strings flew down towards the rubber man, who quickly coated his chest with Armament Haki. he was thrown even further back by the force of the strings. The attack pierced through him and slammed him against the side of the Royal Plateau.

"Luffy!" Rei and Usopp cried.

"Don't tell me his Haki is not fully reformed," Usopp shrieked.

Another wave of threads formed again and raced towards Luffy. They slammed into the sides of the plateau, creating a large dust cloud.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Luffy screamed as he disappeared from view.

"Luf-" Usopp started to shout but Rei put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"He's alive," Rei said calmly, looking at the ground just below the plateau. Usopp followed her gaze. Soon, Luffy climbed out from the rubble. He was trembling all over but he was able to stand.

The rubber man expanded his body, growing triple in size and tearing Doflamingo's strings in the process. "GEAR FOURTH!"

Armament Haki coated his ballooned arms and he jumped high up into the air until he was level with the third plateau. "You had everything in the palm of your hands!" Luffy's rage rang out throughout the entire island, "Because of that greed of yours to control everything and everyone here...I don't even have enough room to breathe here!"

"Blame the blood that runs in your veins! Every last one of you were born beneath me...destined to be ruled over by another. You peons and I are on completely different levels!" Doflamingo bellowed.

"What...what is he talking about?" Usopp asked.

"Doflamingo...is a celestial dragon?!" Rei shot a startled look at Law. He could only nod solemnly over his crossed arms as he sat in silence.

"What?!" Usopp screamed.

"That explains the newspaper this morning then…" Rei said turning back to the fight below.

Doflamingo had shot a web out between him and Luffy. Luffy's arm was raised and had swelled up ten fold. It was big enough to block out the sun.

"I will beat the crap out of you and then leave this place!" Luffy shouted.

"Try me then, brat!"

"KING….." Luffy pulled back his arm even further. "KONG…"

"GODSLED!" Doflamingo shot out 16 concentrated strings up through his spider web and towards the rubber man.

Luffy's arm came down at high speed. It broke through the web, snapped Doflamingo's strings, and connected with the Warlord's face with a sickening crunch. "...GUN!" Luffy finished as he sent Doflamingo shooting downwards. The impact of his fall was so great, it broke through the street level and into the underground.

"The Will of D…" Rei whispered to herself and for a second, all was quiet.


	52. An Offer

Usopp and Law both watched Rei slice the katana around in the corner of the bedroom. They were all exhausted, especially Luffy, who had been asleep ever since his battle with Doflamingo ended. He didn't even stir when King Riku sent his guards to escort them into the Royal Palace before the Navy could get to them.

The guards had escorted them into one of the many rooms in the palace and instructed them to wait there while they go fetch the rest of their group. Viola and Rebecca had parted ways with them at the palace to be by the king's side. Rei took that time to bandage up Usopp, Law, and most importantly, Luffy with the medical supplies she took from the hospital.

Now Rei was the only person still standing. Law and Usopp both were sitting on the floor while Luffy slept in the only bed in the room. Rei paced around the room with Zoro's Wado in her hands. She had it drawn and was in the middle of practicing various techniques with it.

_Thwack. Swish. Shing!_

"Rei-ya," Law said with a hint of annoyance, "The fight is over so what are you doing?"

Rei stopped mid-slice but only for a second before continuing on with her exercise. "If I rest, I might fall asleep."

"That's the point of resting," Usopp sighed, "Aren't you tired?"

"Of course I am." Rei didn't even bother looking over at them as she focused her attention at the empty space in front of her, pretending there was a foe there. "But I can't sleep. Now here. Not now."

Law frowned. "Are you scared that you'll have those nightmares again?"

Rei paused for a moment. "Neither of you are in a state to be able to stop me if it occurs. And Luffy won't be able to defend himself right now."

_Thwack. Swish. Shing!_

A knock at the door drew everyone's attention away from Zoro's sword. They all turned to look at the entrance to see Rebecca's head pop in. She smiled with relief when she saw that they were still in the room but Usopp noticed her smile got a little bigger when her eyes rested on Rei.

Rei returned the sword back into its scabbard. "Rebecca, what are you doing here?"

Rebecca moved the door so that it was completely open to show the group of people waiting outside. Kyros gave them all a nod and then went over to Luffy's side, while Zoro, Robin, and Franky filed in behind him. The cyborg was in a terrible shape. Cuts and scrapes were all around his face and body, showing the mechanical parts underneath.

"Franky!" Rei gasped at the sight.

"Ow! Don't worry about me. Just need a small touch up. Nothing I can't handle. I'm super okay." Franky gave her a thumbs up and plopped down on the floor next to Usopp.

"I was able to get to them before the Navy found them," Rebecca said running over to Rei. "Are you guys okay? How is Lucy doing?"

"Luffy," Rei corrected. Her eyes met Zoro's but she continued to speak to Rebecca, "He's been asleep ever since you and Viola-sama brought us here."

"When he wakes up, I will need to properly thank him," Kyros said gruffly before turning to Rei. "But before then, I believe I also have to thank you."

Rei tilted her head to the side in confusion. "I don't understand."

"He already thanked me for protecting Rebecca on the Royal Plateau," Robin said with a smile.

Kyros bowed his head at her. "Rebecca has told me all about it. How you had saved her many times today...in the Colosseum, on the way to the palace, and even from Doflamingo."

Zoro snorted. "Oy, Know It All. Are you turning into a hero?"

"Why would I want to be that?" Rei looked genuinely horrified at the thought. "A hero is someone who puts himself in danger for no reason. I need a reason."

"What kind of logic is that?!" Usopp snapped as Robin and Franky chuckled..

Rei turned her attention back to Rebecca and Kyros. "There is no reason to thank me. I was just helping out a friend and under my captain's orders. Rebecca bought us lunch so we owed it to her to keep her safe."

"That's your reason?!" Usopp cried incredulously.

"It was enough for Luffy so it was enough for me."

"Ugh. Of course you'd get that idea from this guy." Usopp grumbled as he pinched and pulled Luffy's cheeks out. The captain continued to sleep.

Rebecca giggled at the sniper's antics and she looked over at Rei just in time to see Rei look her way. She blushed a little and averted her eyes. Rei thought nothing of Rebecca's reaction but both Law and Zoro caught the pink haired princess' flustered expression. Zoro narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest as he paid closer attention to Rebecca.  _She can't possibly…_

"Oy, Rei-ya." Law sighed and folded his hands behind his head to get comfortable. "We need to get off this island as soon as Straw Hat-ya wakes up and once they bring Bellamy to us."

"Bellamy?!" the Straw Hats, besides Usopp and Rei, yelled in surprise.

"Ah, Luffy requested we get him when we made our way to the palace...He said it before he passed out," Usopp said.

"But why Bellamy?" Zoro asked.

"You can ask Luffy when he wakes up," Robin said.

"We should leave here as soon as Bellamy gets here," Rei said solemnly, "We don't have to wait for Luffy to wake up for that."

Rebecca gasped. "What? You're going to leave now? But-"

"Not off the island. Just out of the palace." Rei looked out the window at the city below. "We came here to avoid the Navy but it's only a matter of time before they come into the palace."

Kyros nodded in agreement. "You can go to Carta."

"Carta?" Robin asked.

"It's a small town right outside of Dressrosa," Kyros explained, "I can show you the way. I have a house there. That's where Scarlet and I lived with Rebecca before...before…"

"Say no more, soldier-san," Robin said gently, "We understand and appreciate the offer."

"Wait!" Rebecca grasped Rei's arm in surprise. "You guys can't go just yet. It's too soon!" Her eyes welled up in tears.

Rei's whole body stiffened and she looked to Robin to help but her friend only chuckled at her reaction. Rei then turned to Zoro, who had a perplexed expression on his face.

"You're right. We can't go just yet," Rei said slowly. She pulled her arm out of Rebecca's grasp. "Not without thanking King Riku and Viola-sama for their help."

"I know where they are. I can show you the way," Rebecca hastily volunteered.

"Rebecca, the danger is over. You don't have to stay close to me anymore for protection," Rei said, believing that was the reason for Rebecca's odd behavior. Rebecca immediately blushed and took one step away from Rei.

"I'm just trying to help you all as much as I can," Rebecca replied, gazing down at her feet.

Rei nodded in understanding, although she was the only person in the room who was actually the farthest from the truth of the matter. "Oh, I see. Then let's go then," she said and made her way to the door with Rebecca following behind.

Zoro sighed and went after the two. "I'm coming along too."

Rei nodded at the swordsman and handed him his sword. Zoro held up his sword into the light to get a better look. He drew it out of the scabbard and inspected the blade. It looked untouched and he scowled up at it. "Oy, Know It All. Did you even use this sword?"

"Yes. I'd think you'd be happy that I took such good care of it."

"There's a difference in taking good care of a sword and not using it to avoid it being damaged," Zoro scoffed as he looked at Rei's cuts and bruises. "Every time I see you, you seem to be in rougher shape than before. You know this sword is supposed to protect you and not the other way around."

"I used it," Rei stated, "And it saved Rebecca and Viola-sama from Doflamingo. I used it to cut his strings just as you used mine."

"Ah right." Zoro untied Rei's chains from around his waist and returned her weapons to her. "That was a good idea, by the way. Using your weapons with my Haki."

"Ah...your Haki…" Rei started to say but then remembered the crowd in the room and backtracked, "Yes, I'm glad that it worked."

Zoro tilted his head to the side but said nothing of Rei's reaction and they made their way out the door silently with Rebecca in front.

* * *

"Yes, it is a good time for you to go," King Riku agreed once Rei finished saying goodbye to him and Viola, "I expect the marines to come through the palace doors at any moment now. However..."

He put a hand on Rei's shoulder and gave her a warm smile, "If you'd like to stay here and be one of my commanders, you are also more than welcome to."

Rei couldn't believe her ears and neither could Zoro. "What?!" they both asked at the same time.

"You have done so well protecting not only Rebecca but also Viola, that I'd like to invite you to stay here and be in charge of their security. I could also use a tactician like yourself in my employment," the king replied.

"But you were always a passive king…Why would you need someone like me?" Rei asked.

"Precisely," the king said, "I am passive and look how that turned out for my kingdom. I need an advisor who can see the future dangers and find a way to avoid them without conflict."

"I'm a pirate," Rei said, "I'm wanted by the marines. I doubt they'd be happy for me to stay here."

"You're not actually considering this, are you?!" Zoro demanded.

"We can say that I had an agreement with King Tannenbay and that you went undercover for me in order to help save this kingdom," King Riku answered, ignoring the swordsman, "Given that they were the ones who allowed Doflamingo to run my kingdom to the ground, I doubt they'd put up too much of a fight against this decision...If you choose to accept it, that is."

"Rei," Rebecca said with a hopeful smile, "It would be wonderful if you could stay."

Rei took a deep breath and then looked at King Riku. "Thank you for the offer but I must decline it. I've already given my loyalty to Luffy. However, if you do need advice, I'm sure King Tannenbay will always be there to offer you some."

King Riku smiled understandingly. "I figured that's what you said. I just thought I'd give you the offer so that you had an option."

He shared a quick look with Viola and then looked over at Rebecca and Zoro. "Can you two leave us alone for just a few moments? I'd like to speak to Rei privately, if possible."

Zoro and Rebecca nodded and made their way out of the room. They stood in silence outside the door and out of earshot. Zoro leaned against the doorway and eyed the pink haired princess, who had a saddened expression on her face.

"You asked the king to make that offer, didn't you?," Zoro asked gruffly.

Rebecca jumped in surprise. "What makes you think-?"

Zoro scoffed. "That Know It All would never stay."

"Wh-why wouldn't he?!" Rebecca demanded.

 _He..._  Zoro thought with a frown.  _This would be so much easier if that Know It All would just tell her the truth._

"There's no reason for him to stay," Zoro said instead.

"He can help rebuild grandfather's kingdom. He helped the king from Beffi Island," Rebecca said hopefully.

"And abandon Luffy?" Zoro countered.

Rebecca fell silent so Zoro continued to talk. "Listen, we're pirates. A princess like you should not get involved with-"

"People can change," Rebecca said stubbornly, "Just look at my father."

Zoro lost his patience. "Look, you shouldn't waste your time and energy on that Know It All. When it comes to feelings and love, he's more of a robot than Franky. If you go tell him right now how you feel about him, he wouldn't know what to do.'

"I never said that I loved-" Rebecca was blushing furiously but Zoro wasn't paying attention to her.

His hand had instinctively gone to his Wado and he looked down at its hilt. "That Know It All," he interrupted, "Knows the value of a man's most prized weapon but knows nothing about a kiss. He doesn't even want to know what a kiss means."

Zoro sighed and knelt on the ground. He rested his arm on top of his leg and got comfortable. "This is a person who is comfortable being dropped into the middle of a bloody battle field but freezes up as soon as someone sheds a tear. Believe me, he's the most challenging person to love."

"Again, I never said anything about love," Rebecca muttered stubbornly but said nothing else. They sat in silence outside the door until finally it opened and Rei walked out.

"Rebecca," Rei said, "Your grandfather wants to speak to you now."

Rebecca stared at Rei for a while before she let out a breath and nodded. "Okay, thank you," she said and then headed into the room. The door closed behind her.

Zoro got to his feet and dusted off his knees. "What did the king have to say to you that couldn't be said in front of me?"

Rei crossed her arms in front of her and let out a small frown, "It was quite odd, actually. He said the offer was just a grandfather's gift to his granddaughter but that he had another thing he wished to give to her."

"Which was?" Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"My silence," Rei answered and started to walk back the way they came.

"What?!" Zoro rushed to follow her.

"He asked that I not tell Rebecca that I was a girl," Rei said.

"That old king knew and said nothing?!" Zoro shouted.

"I'm sure Viola-sama told him," Rei guessed, "But I find it odd that they don't want Rebecca to know. Why does it matter if I was a boy or a girl?"

Zoro remained silent even though Rei looked at him expectantly for an answer.  _The king wanted to spare Rebecca the embarrassment once she found out...And it was a way to let her down gently without Rei outright rejecting her...What a passive king..._ he thought as they made their way back to the room.

Rei stopped right outside the door of the room. "I'm going to leave you here now. You guys should go to Carta as soon as Bellamy arrives. I'll meet you there."

"Huh?! You're staying here? Are you taking up the king's offer after all?!"

"No, of course not," Rei quickly assured him, "I just have a couple of things to do here before I leave."

She stared him straight in the eyes so he could see that she was not lying and pushed open the door for him. "I'll come find you as soon as I'm done."

"How will you know where we are?" Zoro said as he walked into the room.

"It'll be easy. You gave me your Haki after all so I can just use that to look for you," Rei responded and released the door. It shut right on Zoro's shocked expression as he whirled around to face her.


	53. Exhaustion & Disappearance

Rei barely finished taking three steps down the hallway before the swordsman burst through the door. She didn't pause or change her pace and she ignored the loud crash of the door falling off its hinges.

"There's a knob you know!" Usopp screeched from inside the room.

Zoro huffed in anger and then stormed after Rei as she rounded the corner. He grabbed her by the elbow and swung her around so that she was right under his nose. Zoro saw that her eyes did not shine and were not as alert as they usually were. Bags had formed her eyes and they were dark and heavy. However, Zoro ignored all of that.

"How did you find out about my Haki?" he demanded, "Did Luffy tell you?"

Rei blinked back at him. She needed a second to register what he was asking. Then she sighed and pulled her elbow out of his hold. "I should've known every one else was already aware of it...but you should've known that I'd figure it out on my own eventually. I've been training with Haki longer than any of you. You really think I wouldn't piece it together?"

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck in frustration and averted Rei's eyes. "Well, I was going to tell you eventually…"

"Were you?" Rei asked. There was no hint of anger, annoyance, or any type of emotion in her voice. There wasn't any accusation. Instead, it seemed she was just curious about the whole matter. However, Zoro was still hesitant to answer her. He knew that she was a master at keeping her emotions in check so he wasn't sure how she was actually reacting to this revelation.

Suddenly, she did something that he truly did not expect. She started to laugh. It wasn't a laughter of amusement, though. In fact, it seemed more like a tired chuckle. Zoro was utterly perplexed. He had mentally prepared himself for her to be furious, to demand to know why he wasn't forthright with her, or even be grateful that he did so to save her life. He was prepared for anything except humor.

"What's so funny?" Zoro growled.

Rei stifled her laugh and gave Zoro a small smile. "I'm just relieved, that's all. Now it all makes sense."

" _You're_  not making any sense."

Rei's smile was replaced with a contemplative frown and she folded her hands in front of her. She stared at it as she tried to figure out the right words to say. "Ever since Punk Hazard," she began slowly, "Maybe even before then, you've confused the hell out of me. At times, you were so protective of me and more concerned about me than you were with the others. I wasn't sure why."

She lifted her head up and her eyes met Zoro's. "But now it all makes sense," she said as she touched a finger towards her chest wound, which had begun to form a hard scar, "I pushed you out of the way from the chain weapon on Beffi Island. You felt responsible for that so you gave me your Haki. I saved your life so you saved mine. That's all."

Zoro started to say something but Rei cut him off. "Then afterwards, I started getting nightmares. The same ones that affected you caused by your Haki so you naturally felt even more responsible for me...But you don't have to be. Now that I know what is causing it, I can control it."

She turned so that she faced away from him. "What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to feel guilty anymore over me. I saved your life so you saved mine. That's all there is to it. We're even."

Zoro stared at Rei's back in disbelief. "You think this was all out of obligation? That you are some type of debt to me? What about the ki-"

"What happened," Rei cut him off quickly before he could finish the word, "Back on the plateau...That was just an overreaction. Your Haki was raging since you needed to use a lot of it to fight off Pica so when you landed and saw me...You just got carried away."

Zoro looked like Rei sprouted two heads. "You think it was because of Haki?"

"That's all I want to think!" Rei retorted, unable to turn and face him. There was a sudden harshness in her voice, her head was lowered, and her hands were clenched to her side. She took a deep breath and relaxed her stance. "I don't know much about the matters of the heart but I do know about Haki so I'm going to believe that Haki is the cause of whatever is happening between us. It's the only explanation I can accept...Now if you'll excuse me, there's something I need to do."

Zoro blinked at the back of Rei's head a few more times and then finally scoffed and relaxed his two hands behind his head. "Fine," he sighed as he turned the other way and walked back to the room, "Who am I to argue with a Know It All? If you say it's Haki, then it's Haki. No more, no less."

Rei remained silent and still in the hallway for a moment even after Zoro returned back into the room. She felt tightness in her chest and her thumped it lightly with her fist. She didn't understand this feeling but she definitely did not want to look into it.  _It's his Haki,_ she told herself through clenched teeth,  _That's all._

She walked off in the other direction, not even noticing a small ear disappearing from the wall next to her. Back in the room, Robin folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow as the scowling swordsman returned to the room but Robin said nothing.

* * *

"You guys should've seen it!" Bartolomeo crowed to anyone who would listen. "When Zoro-senpai leapt through the air and split-"

"We were all there," Orlumbus coldly interrupted..

The pirates had found sanctuary with some of the townspeople in the large lobby of the castle. The citizens were tending to their wounds while also waiting to hear about the navy's movements and their own king's next steps. The pirates, on the other hand, were waiting on the next steps of someone else entirely.

"But you weren't as high up as us," Bartolomeo pointed out and hooked an elbow around Cavendish's neck with a sense of camaraderie that was not mutual. "We got front row seats to the spectacle! Especially when he landed on the plateau."

Bartolomeo's eyes sparkled with excitement and inspiration. "Oh," he breathed, "The way Zoro-senpai marched right up to Rei-sama, who was so confident in his abilities, and-"

Bartolomeo stopped speaking when he felt the sharp point from one of Rei's daggers pressed against his back. "Let's keep what happened back there between us...Don't you agree?" Rei asked calmly.

Cavendish didn't even bat an eyelash and turned to Rei, while beads of sweat poured down Bartolomeo's brow, in fear that he had just lost favor in his beloved Rei-sama's eyes. "We were wondering where the Straw Hat and his crew went. So we're all here in the castle then?" Cavendish asked, ignoring how she was currently positioned.

"Just me now. The other's are on the move," Rei said and then waited for another second before lowering her weapon from Bartolomeo's back, "I actually came here to talk to you."

Immediately, Bartolomeo snapped into obedience. He straightened his shoulders, turned to Rei, and saluted her all in one quick turn. "Yes, Rei-sama," he said with a stiffness in his spine, "Whatever you and Luffy-senpai need! Give me your orders."

Rei gave a quick glance around the lobby. She noticed that many people were looking her way, including some villagers. Cavendish was very much aware of the attention as well and he scowled when he realized that most of the attention was coming from the womenfolk. They had replayed the feed of the tournament and for some reason, people really responded to the moment in the fight when Rei carried off their princess to safety during the last match.  _The focus should be on me!,_ he seethed internally.

"Let's go somewhere private. I don't like how everyone is looking at me," Rei said, fueling Cavendish' annoyance.

"Of course, Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo plowed through the crowd to make room for Rei to walk through, unintentionally drawing more unwanted attention to Rei, "Make way! Make way! Rei-sama is requesting a private meeting with me. All you unworthy peasants step aside!"

Cavendish felt compelled to follow them, even though he was not invited. Rei glanced at him as he walked next to her but did not protest. They found an empty room at the end of one of the halls. Bartolomeo opened the door to let Rei in first and tried to close the door on Cavendish before the blonde pirate could follow her in. However, Cavendish quickly blocked the crest head by stopping the door with his fist and he glared at Bartolomeo. "Let me in, damn it!"

"She said she wanted to talk to me. This is none of your business!" Bartolomeo snapped.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping Cavendish would join us," Rei said as she leaned against the wall. She lifted her chin up that the back of her head was supported by the wall. "I have a favor to ask the both of you."

"What is it?" Bartolomeo asked.

"I need you to gather all the pirates that fought with us in the tournament. I need them to take part in my plan or else a lot of us will either get caught by the Navy or killed," she said, still staring up at the ceiling.

"What makes you think they'll listen to us?" Bartolomeo asked.

"I don't want to work with them," Cavendish scowled at the same time.

"They will once you tell them my plan," Rei said, "If they have any common sense they'll see that it's the only way out."

"Are you asking us to form an alliance with Luffy-senpai?!" Bartolomeo asked excitedly.

Rei let out a small breath of laughter. "I can't do that. That will be entirely up to Luffy...but I don't think it would be in his nature to accept. Law already has his hands full with the current alliance."

"So what's the plan?" Cavendish asked.

Rei finally broke her gaze from the ceiling and looked down at her utility belt. She rummaged in it for a second before pulling out several sheets of folded paper and held it out. Bartolomeo snatched it out of her hand before Cavendish could even touch it. He unfolded it tenderly as if it was made of delicate lace. There were two sheets of paper. "Rei-sama's strategy!," he shouted with joy, "Oh! I will cherish this forever!"

"Just show me what it says!" Cavendish snapped.

The first sheet was a list of instructions detailing the plan and the second sheet was a detailed map. It was a map of Dressrosa with a line of circles that started at the eastern side of the island then go straight out into the ocean. There were x's also all around the border of the island with three very big X's near the center of town. In the corner of the paper, Rei had written "C?".

"The circles are your pirate ships as well as the others'. I did a rough estimate based on who I saw on the tournament list. The x's are where I think the marines would be…," Rei started to explain but then her voice drifted off. "It's all explained in the plan, Cavendish. Read it and relay it to the other pirates."

"Wait, why me?!" Cavendish asked.

"Let me do it, Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo chimed at the same time.

"No, your job is to get Luffy and the others to your ship when you find them," she said with an apologetic smile, "They'll be in Carta. It's the town just outside of the city. I'm sorry that's all I know so I won't be able to get you anymore information on the location. You'll need to get them by yourself. I'll wait for you on your ship."

Bartolomeo scratched his head in confusion, "Why? I mean, I'll be honored to do so but why can't you come with me to get them?"

She took a deep breath and her glassy eyes met Bartolomeo's. "Because I won't be awake." With that she passed out and slumped to the floor in a heap.

"Ahhh! Rei-sama!" Bartolomeo cried as he rushed over to help her to her feet.

"Don't wake her," Cavendish shouted sternly without looking up from the papers in his hand. He was in the middle of the plan and already amazed by how thorough her strategy was. "She's going to be out for the next two days."

"How do you know that?" Bartolomeo snapped, "You're not a doctor."

"Cause she said so!" Cavendish retorted. He waved the paper in front of Bartolomeo's face to make a point and then brought it back in front of him to read from it. "' _I've been using the rest of my Haki to monitor the movements of the city. The big X's on the map is where the I could feel the bigger pools of Haki, most likely marines, so should be avoided. It will take me two whole days to recover my Haki and recover from my wounds so just let me sleep it off on Bartolomeo's ship.'_ "

He snorted and looked back at Bartolomeo. "She must be an idiot to trust you with getting Straw Hat Luffy-"

"Baaawwwwwwwwwwwww!" Bartolomeo's sobs drowned out Cavendish' snarky remark. Bartolomeo was deeply moved at the faith his beloved Rei-sama had put in him. His tears splashed on her face as he lifted her up and carried her out of the doorway. "I swear on my Barrier Barrier fruit that I'll get out you safely, Rei-sama!" he blubbered.

"Don't cry on her! That's disgusting!" Cavendish stomped after him, clenching the papers in his hand.

* * *

"Ahh that was a great feast!" Luffy patted his belly happily as the crew crossed one ship after another to get to the final one that will take them off the island.

"Chicken-Kun, where is Rei?" Robin said as she stepped foot onto his ship, the Going Luffy-senpai, "You said she was here?"

"Yes, Robin-senpai," Bartolomeo simpered as he rushed over to help her on board. "I have her sleeping in my room. It's right over the-AHHHHHH!"

Bartolomeo screamed out in horror as he pointed to the doorway when he realized his door was flung wide open, revealing an empty bed. His eyes bugged out and his hand was frozen in mid air. "Rei-sama's gone?!"

"What?!" Zoro grabbed Bartolomeo by the collar and dragged him over to the room so that he could see for himself. "What do you mean she's gone?"

One of Bartolomeo's crewmembers scurried over and bowed at the swordsman. "Deepest apologies, Zoro-senpai! Rei-sama had woken up yesterday, while you all were still away. One of the tiny people came to our ship. He had an important message for Rei-sama from the palace...When he delivered the message, Rei-sama became pale in the face and ran off."

"Must've been a Tontatta," Usopp guessed as he looked back at Dressrosa.

"Rei-sama told us that we should leave without him and that he will find a way to reunite with you at Zou," the crewmember continued, "And then he ran back to the island."

"And you let her leave?!" Zoro thundered.

The pirate's eyes bugged out. "Rei-sama...Rei-sama is a "she"?!"

"Ow! Super not important right now," Franky interrupted as he examined Bartolomeo's ship, "We need to get off this island and if Rei-Sis says that we should go first, then I'm going to trust her."

"But-" Zoro started to say but Luffy's laugh cut him off. He turned to glare at his easy going captain but that didn't put off Luffy's good mood in the slightest.

"Ahh..Looks like Rei's got an adventure on her own," the rubber man chuckled, "I can't wait to hear all about it when we get to Zou."

"I agree with Robo-ya. Rei-ya can take care of herself," Law added.

"Like hell she can," Zoro growled and ran off the ship. He leapt into the ship in front of it and continued to run towards the island.

"AH! Zoro, if you're gone, we lose one of the monster fighters!" Usopp screamed after him but Zoro was too far to hear him.

Robin, who had remained silent during the whole outburst, finally spoke up. "Did you hear the message, by any chance?" she asked.

"Yes," the crew member said, "It was a message from a guy named Ellis."

"Prince Ellis?!" Both Robin and Usopp said in surprise.

"I guess," the crew member shrugged, "He asked Rei save his son."

There was a moment of stunned silence until Usopp regained his voice. "Y-Y-Y-You mean King Tannenbay called to ask Rei to save Ellis right? Because Prince Ellis is the  _king's_  son!"

The crew member shook his head. "No, the message was from a man named Ellis and the message was 'Please save my son.'"


	54. A Prisoner, a Stowaway, and a Guest

_One day since the Going Luffy-senpai has left Dressrosa (with Luffy and Co.)_

Rei's head bounced like a rubber ball and the ricochet caused her to snap awake. She blinked her eyes to refocus her gaze and straightened up her back. When she realized nothing had changed since when she dozed off, she relaxed a little and sighed.  _I nodded off again,_  she thought to herself with a frown as she crossed her arms and adjusted her weight as she sat cross-legged on the wooden plank of a Navy ship.

Her guard, a very young but muscular marine, sat on a stool by the door and looked at her, unfazed by her sudden movement. He was very tan and had a thick black beard. His gun was laid out across his lap unmoving while his eyes fixated on his captive.

Rei wanted to ask him how long she had been asleep but figured he was not authorized to respond. She decided to test it out herself by activating her Observational Haki to see how wide of an area it could expand to. She had only just begun when she quickly stopped. She had felt something strong just on the other side of the door and it was coming towards her.  _Looks like I'm about to get my answer_ , she thought just as three sharp knocks came through from the door.

Her guard quickly shot to his feet and looked from the peep hole. Instantly, his whole body went rigid and he hastily opened the door. "Inspector General!" the guard saluted as former Fleet Admiral, Sengoku, walked past with a half eaten rice cracker in hand.

"You're awake I see," Sengoku said cheerfully as he sat down on the floor in front of Rei and popped the rest of the cracker in his mouth.

"Inspector General! Please, take my seat!" The guard hurriedly pushed his stool towards Sengoku but the Inspector General waved off the guard without even turning to look at him.

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone with the prisoner. I have some questions I need answered," Sengoku said.

"Yes, sir!" the guard said as he raced out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Rei looked at her visitor. Even though she had already seen him earlier, she was still taken aback by how much he had aged since his retirement. His white hair and his wrinkled forehead were nothing compared to how tired his eyes looked. On the other hand, he might've physically aged but it seemed he was more carefree and light hearted than he ever was as the Fleet Admiral.

As if he was reading her mind, he smiled at her and said, "It seems we've both changed since the last time we met."

Rei tilted her head to the side and gave him a blank stare. "How so?"

"Now that you're a pirate, it seems you are behaving a bit more recklessly. Must be because of that captain of yours," Sengoku said and rolled his eyes at the thought of Luffy, "If Garp had any control over his own family members…"

"How am I being reckless?" Rei interrupted.

Sengoku looked at her in surprise. "You're saying that giving yourself up to the Navy should not be considered reckless behavior for a pirate? And on my ship, no less?"

"I told you, I needed passage and wanted to use your ship. I never said I was giving myself up."

"Ah, yes," Sengoku grunted, "But you never told me where you're headed. I doubt you're coming back to the Marine headquarters with us so at some point you're going to try to escape."

"Try?" Rei asked, slightly amused, "You think keeping me at the bottom of the ship with one guard in the room is enough to stop me?"

Sengoku chuckled. "I have other preparations planned. If I make it too easy for you to escape, Sakazuki would think we were in cahoots or something. So why don't you tell me where you need to go and why you're doing this by yourself?"

Rei remained silent as she looked closely at Sengoku, who chuckled again at her reaction. "You walked onto my ship, demanded to see me, and now you're wondering whether or not you can trust me?"

His mind flashed back to the previous day when this red-haired runt appeared on his deck. "I'm here to see Former Fleet Admiral Sengoku," she had said matter of factly as she stood in the middle of the deck. His men had surrounded her with all their weapons aimed at her but she had acted like she was their commanding officer.

Even without her mask, he still knew it was "Red-Ghost" Rei just by the way she stood with her arms crossed and her chin high. They've dealt with each other enough over the years that he recognized her demeanor and body language. However, it did come as quite a surprise when he saw the later reports that the commander of Beffi Island was in fact a girl and the niece to "Red-Hair" Shanks.

"I came here believing you were a man of your word," she said, snapping him back from his thoughts, "You owe me a favor and I trust you to fulfill that debt. I just don't trust what you'll do afterwards."

"Yes," Sengoku nodded, "I do owe you a favor after that nasty business from Impel Down, which was caused by your own captain, I might add."

"He wasn't my captain then," Rei pointed out, "And his intention was not to release all the prisoners from Level 6. Just his brother. For the prisoners to escape, that's as much of a reflection of the Navy's inadequacies as it was of Luffy's strength."

"Which is why I asked you and King Tannenbay to help capture the ones that did escape."

"Which is why you owe me a favor now."

"Which," Sengoku said with a more serious tone than before, "brings me to my original question. What is this favor you're asking me? We both know you're not here for safe passage off of Dressrosa."

Rei took a deep breath and said slowly, "I need to get to Prasa."

"Oy, Rei-ya. What's at Prasa?"

Rei and Sengoku both jumped to their feet and turned to look at Law, who was leaning against the closed door.

"Law?! What are you doing here?" Rei gasped.

"How the hell did you get past my men?" Sengoku demanded at the same time.

Law held out his hand and a thin, transparent sphere appeared from the palm of his hand. He let it expand and then shrank it back down again. "I can get past anything."

"We're in the middle of the sea!" Sengoku hissed, "You've been on this ship since the beginning and none of my men found you?"

"Some men did...They just couldn't report it to anyone," Law said tapping his sword for emphasis.

"I thought you'd be with Luffy. Don't you need to get back to your crew?" Rei asked.

"Well, I figured you'd be heading there too so it wouldn't matter if I went with Straw Hat-ya or you," Law said nonchalantly.

"That makes no sense," Rei said incredulously. Law was a man on a mission from the first day they met on Punk Hazard. It was not like him to be so flimsy in his decision making.

Law ignored Rei and tapped a finger to his chin as he pondered something. "Although, to be honest, I'm a little surprised Zoro-ya's not here either. He left to go find you before I did."

Rei blinked at Law for a moment and digested what she had just been told. "Zoro did what?!"

* * *

The swordsman gritted his teeth and continued to paddle as his tiny row boat chugged forward in the middle of the sea. The wooden oars were starting to splinter and he could feel some embedded into his blistered palms.  _Training,_  he thought to himself,  _I'll think of this as training. And when I get my hands on that Know It All's neck, I'll consider killing her training too._

The salty water misted against his face whenever the oars hit the surface of the water. Some of the salt got into his eye but most of it seeped into the bandana tied around his head. The black bandana also helped to soak in all the sweat.

While searching for the Know it All on Dressrosa, he overheard some marines murmur about how a high level pirate had turned himself in and to formal Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Zoro knew that only the Know It All would pull an annoying stunt like that. He questioned the marines, his swords being the persuading factor, and managed to get out a rough direction of where the Know It All would be heading. He found himself a small row boat and managed to get out of the island without much detection, thanks to the help of Wicca and her Tontatta friends.

"Don't get lost! Head south!" Wicca had yelled after him as he rowed away, which only fueled his annoyance. He had channeled his frustration on the oars and did not reply back.

His throat was dry and he looked at the small flask of water the Tontattas had stolen for him. There was only a couple of mouthfuls left so he had to preserve it.  _If only they also got me a bottle of sake…_

Suddenly, a small shadow casted over him and his boat. A wave swelled from the side and pushed his boat sideways. "OY!" he shouted to no one in particular as he looked up to see what was going on.

A caravel was coming towards him. He looked at the top of the ship to see if the flag had a jolly roger on it or the marine symbol. He was surprised to see neither. In fact, it was the symbol of two red swords facing away from each other. Zoro frowned.  _Why does that look so familiar?_

From the side of the ship, an even more familiar face poked out. 19 year old Prince Ellis hung over the railings and shielded his warm brown eyes from the sun as he looked over at Zoro. They both recognized each other at the same time.

"YOU!" they shouted pointing at each other, "What are you doing here?!"

"Are you the reason why that Know It All left us without any explanation?" Zoro shouted.

"Well, I'm going to meet up with Rei, if that's what you mean…" Ellis was slightly puzzled by Zoro's accusation.

"You're going the wrong way! I'm going after the Know It All too. She must've passed right by you," Zoro exclaimed.

Prince Ellis scratched his spiked blonde hair in confusion. "That makes no sense. I've been following her vivre card. We couldn't have passed by each other."

"I have no idea where she's going," Zoro blustered, "I just know they said to head south from the island and that's where I'm going."

Prince Ellis groaned and stopped himself from telling Zoro he was going west. Instead, he threw a rope over to Zoro. "Here climb aboard. I'll take you to Rei."

Zoro grabbed the rope and started to pull himself in closer to the ship, with Prince Ellis doing the same. Zoro was surprised by the strength of the prince as he looked thin in stature.  _But then again, so is the Know It All and she's pretty strong...Must be some type of training they do._

"Are you out here by yourself? Shouldn't have an army or something protecting you?" Zoro asked as he climbed over the railing and jumped onto the deck.

"I snuck off the island...," the prince said sheepishly, "As Rei probably told you, no one knows about my son."

"Your what?!" Zoro's mouth dropped open and he gaped at the teenage boy.

The prince looked equally surprised. "You didn't know? Rei didn't tell you?"

"She didn't tell me anything!" Zoro thundered, "Like I said. She just took off without any explanation. Why do you think I'm going after her?! How did you even reach her?!"

"You guys are all over the newspaper. The whole world knows you were at Dressrosa!" Prince Ellis threw the latest newspaper at Zoro and it hit his face with a loud smack, "You got all your bounties raised, for crying out loud!"

Zoro peeled the paper away from his face and looked down to see a photo of him staring back at him.  _Roronoa Zoro, 320,000,000 bellis._ He then flipped to through the pages - Luffy (500 million bellis. Nice one!), the Curly Brow (who cares), Usopp (200 million...That's impressive. Although, Usopp might be freaking out right now), Chopper (100 bellis! Doubled from his original. Good job, Chopper).

He finally landed on the page with Rei's face on it. It was a photo of her in the tournament and it was slightly obscured by the goggles and her hair was tucked up in the cap she was wearing. She didn't have her mask on but at least her identity was kept somewhat safe. Then he saw the numbers and his eyes almost popped out of his sockets.

"250 million bellis?" Zoro read out loud and then looked at Ellis for answers, "How did her bounty get so high?!"

"The tournament," Ellis said. His expression had darkened and his voice was solemn, "There was footage of her defeating Jesus Burgess and then helping the Chief of Staff for the Revolutionary Army gain the Flame-Flame fruit. Clearly the navy is taking her very seriously."

"It probably doesn't help that she also helped me and Kin escape from that blind admiral dude," Zoro muttered to himself as he thought about all the dangerous stunts Rei had pulled that day. He folded her bounty page and tucked into his belly band. He looked back up at Prince Ellis and smirked, "She certainly is making quite a name for herself in the shortest amount of time."

Prince Ellis chuckled back. "That's our Rei...Breaking records without trying to."

The smirk fell from Zoro's face. "She's not  _your_  Rei anymore. She's with us now."

"I know."

Zoro scoffed. "Tch, then next time send your messages to her captain and not to her directly."

Ellis' fists tightened against his side. "I had no choice. She's the only person who I could turn to about this..."

"About what?! How can you even have a son? You're still a brat!" Zoro demanded.

"I'm 19!" Ellis snapped back but then winced at how childish he sounded. He took a deep breath and raked his hand through his hair. "I was engaged when I was 16. It was an arranged marriage."

"And what? You're not married now so you knocked some other girl up and the wedding was cancelled?" Zoro guessed.

"What type of person do you think I am?" The prince looked genuinely hurt. "No! That was not the case at all. I loved Marita. I still do!"

"Marita, that's the girl?'

"Princess Marita," Ellis said as he looked up at the sky and leaned against the railing, "She was the princess of Uslua and the third daughter of King Godet."

" _Was_  the princess? Did she die?" Zoro asked.

"No...She renounced her title when she refused to marry me," Ellis said.

"So she didn't love you?"

Ellis' head snapped back down and he glared at Zoro. "She did! She does! We just couldn't get married."

Zoro scratched his head in confusion. "Wait. If you loved her...and she loved you...Why couldn't you get married?"

"Because of her father."

"The king didn't want the marriage?"

"No, he did."

Zoro looked as though he was going to wring Ellis' neck. "You are not making any sense."

Ellis laughed bitterly, "I know. This shouldn't happen. A marriage should be a celebration. I'm a prince. She's a princess. We should've lived happily ever after."

"So why couldn't you?"

"We found out that there would be no happily ever after if she married me," Ellis said, "You see, King Godet is a king in the New World that was known for being a peaceful but powerful king. He always tried to stay away from battle but every time he does get involved, he wins. He conquered two nations that had initially started a war with him. He has three sons, all with different women, and Marita was his youngest daughter from his fourth wife. She's the only living daughter."

"What happened to her sisters?"

"Rei wondered the same thing too," Ellis said, "And do you know what she found?"

Zoro gulped and leaned a bit closer to Ellis. "What?" he asked softly.

"That both his daughters died on the day of their wedding. The grooms were the princes of the nation that King Godet eventually took over." Ellis took another deep breath. "King Godet used his daughters to incite war. He killed them and blamed it on the princes' families. It stirred up rebellions within the nations and made it easy for him to take over the thrown. His eldest son took over the throne of the first country and his second son took over the next one."

"And you said he has a third son?" Zoro asked.

Ellis nodded. "Rei believed that he was trying to do the same thing to our island and to give it to his third son to rule. She warned Marita and me. By that time, we had already fallen in love. We felt it best not to tell my father as not to incite a war by doing so. "

Zoro didn't look like he completely understood but he moved forward as if he did. "Okay...so what about your son? Was he born then?"

"No…" Ellis wrung his hands nervously, "I've actually never seen my son."

"What?!"

"To avoid the wrath of her father, Marita escaped to an island where Rei and I knew she'd be safe. The night before our wedding, Rei and Marita fled on a ship together. Marita left behind a note saying that she had called off the wedding and abandoned her title and duties as the princess. I was to stay on the island so that no one would think I was helping her escape. When Rei came back, she told me that Marita was pregnant. I had no idea!"

"When was this?"

"2 years ago."

"2 years?!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Prince Ellis exclaimed helplessly, "After Marita fled, her father had been monitoring our island like a hawk. He must've known we had something to do with it. Combine that with Tarantula, there was just no way I could leave the island safely."

"What about now? Aren't they watching you still?! Why are you suddenly making a move now?"

"I heard from my sources that her father had tracked her down. He's enraged that she betrayed him and will show no mercy if he finds her...And if he finds out about my son…" Prince Ellis trailed off with worry for a moment but then he pounded the railing with his fist with frustration, "I am no longer a child. I am a man and I will protect what is mine."

"But you still need the Know It All's help," Zoro scoffed.

Prince Ellis pulled out a small scrap of paper and held it between two fingers for Zoro to see. "She's the only one who knows where Marita is. I have Rei's vivre card. If I follow Rei, I'll find Marita and my child."

"So that's it? We're just going to search for this Maria-"

"Marita!" Ellis corrected.

"Whatever..The ex-princess and your son? And then what?"

"Take them back to Beffi Island. It's time I right my wrongs. I'm going to marry Marita, to hell with her father," Ellis said with conviction.

"Yeah yeah," Zoro said as he untied his bandana from his head, "The sooner we get the girl and the brat, the sooner I can take the Know It All back to Luffy."

He looked down at his soaking bandana and then clenched it with his fist. He glared down at the prince, "But this is the last time you ask anything of her before going through us. Are we clear?"

"I think of Rei as my family-"

"Don't give me that crap!" Zoro interrupted, "That's not the point. We both know that the Know It All will do everything she can for your family and for us but sooner or later one of us is going to get her killed. I'd rather we cut those chances in half and have her just focus on one side, don't you?"

Ellis looked at Zoro in silence as the swordsman's harsh words sunk in.

Zoro broke their eye contact and started to tie his bandana back on his arm. "If you're so intent on proving that you're not a child anymore, than don't rely on the Know It All to help clean up your messes."

With that the swordsman walked to the other end of the ship and laid down for a nap. "Wake me up when we're there," he muttered at the prince.


	55. Kio

"Oy, are you even listening to me?"

Rei snapped to attention and sat up a little straighter. Both her and Law had been handcuffed together by Sengoku with Sea Prism stone chains. It was clear Sengoku was not taking any chances. They sat back to back, cross legged, with their wrists bound together. The guard had not come back into the room. Instead, he stood outside the door.

Law huffed in frustration and annoyance. He was infuriated that Rei had willingly allowed Sengoku to handcuff them together and even instructed Law to comply. She better have a damn good plan of escaping because he sure as hell was not going to be much use until the cuffs come off. "I asked what's the plan now?! Sengoku took our weapons and you gave him your Eternal Pose to Prasa. We don't know when we should leave and we have no means to defend ourselves."

"Even if I told you the plan," Rei replied, "It's not like you could help me. Just leave it to me and don't worry about it. I have it all figured out. Besides, you're the one who decided to follow me. I didn't ask you to come."

Law scowled. She had him there.

"Why did you come, Law? I thought you'd want to be the first one to Zou and reunite with your men?" Rei asked.

"Or course I do," Law grumbled, "And I won't forgive you if we get to Zou after Straw Hat-ya. Let's just say I have my own reasons to come along with you instead of Straw Hat-ya."

"Is it because you didn't want to be stuck on a ship with Bartolomeo and his crew?" Rei guessed.

"There was gum everywhere." The level of disgust in Law's voice made Rei smile. Neither could see each other's expressions. Law's nose was wrinkled up at the memory of the Going Luffy-senpai, while Rei was biting her lip to keep herself from chuckling.

"Well, whatever your reason is, I'm glad you're here," Rei admitted.

Law was caught off guard by her words. Usually, she had always been pretty stand-offish to him and he didn't blame her. At the same time, he had only viewed her as a valuable ally.

"I might need a doctor, given the situation," Rei continued, "Especially since I'm not sure how to handle babies."

 _Tch,_  Law thought to himself,  _I should've known her reasoning would be more logical than emotional._

"I haven't had much experience with babies either," he said, "What makes you think you'd need a doctor for this? Do you really think King Goat-head would kill his own grandson?"

"King Godet," Rei corrected, "And I wouldn't put it past him. This was a king who killed his own two daughters and framed it on others in order to start a revolt."

"How does that even work?" Law asked in genuine curiosity. His life had solely revolved around the world of pirates and marines. The inner workings of kings and countries were alien to him and he never had to concern himself with that.

"Pretend that you are a baker living an honest life. You have a wife and kid. You're able to make a decent living selling your bread and generally life is good," Rei said, "You're satisfied with your king and how your country is ruled."

"Okay…" Law was unsure where she was going with this.

"One day, your king announces that his son is to wed the princess of another peaceful but powerful country. This would mean the two countries are joining forces and your way of life would be even more secure."

"So this would be something I'm looking forward to?" Law asked.

"Yes," Rei agreed, "Everyone is in support of this and can't wait for the union. Then the day of the wedding comes. You and your country are waiting to see your new princess and celebrate with the royal family. Suddenly, news breaks out that the princess is dead and that your king and his family are the ones who killed her. How would you feel?"

"Confused. Why would they do that? If the marriage was going to benefit both sides, why would they go and ruin such a good opportunity?"

"Exactly and then documents are revealed to show that your king has been plotting an attack on King Godet's kingdom and are attempting to take it over. King Godet's daughter discovered the documents on her wedding day and was about to show it to her father when  _your king_  found out and killed her to silence her."

"As a citizen, I'd be very angry with what my king has done. I mean, if my country was peaceful to begin with, why would he go and threaten that?"

Rei knew that Law was beginning to understand so she let him continue his thought process.

"I guess I'd start to question my king's methods and if he has my best interest in mind," Law continued, "And I'd begin to sympathize with the other king, who I'd think of as the real victim in this plot."

"So when King Godet starts to ask for your help to overthrow your king, you'd be more inclined to help." Rei finished, "And this whole time you had no idea that the documents were fake and it was King Godet who killed his own daughter in order to frame your king."

"Surely not everyone believed King Godet. There had to be people who sided with their own king," Law said.

"Yes, there definitely was but King Godet didn't need everyone to side with him. He just needed enough to start a revolt and while the other king was busy appeasing his own men, King Godet would attack," Rei answered.

"Ah, I see...and he was about to do it to Beffi Island." Law nodded as he finished wrapping his head around the whole scheme. He than gave a small chuckle. "I guess it's not just pirates and marines that cause trouble in this world. Humanity can be so dark."

"...But the sun always comes back," Rei murmured.

"What?" Law asked.

Rei sighed. "That's something Prince Ellis always said. Whenever things got bad, he'd always put on a brave smile and say 'No matter how dark the night gets, the sun always comes back'."

"And this Prince Ellis guy...who is he to you?"

"He's like my brother. We grew up together," Rei answered.

"And it's his baby that's in danger?" Law asked.

"Yes and Marita is the mother. I'll need to find her too," Rei replied. Her tone was a bit terse and cold and it did not go unnoticed by Law. It was the same tone she had when she first met Law. It was clear, Rei-ya did not consider Marita a friend.

Before Law could ask anymore though, there was a loud thudding noise that came from the other side of the door.

"Kio's here," Rei said and then took a deep breath.

"Who's Kio?!" Law asked and then fell silent as everything around him seemed to happen at lightning speed.

First, the door flew open to reveal the guard crumpled into a heap on the floor. From the doorframe, Law could see a large group of marines coming down the stairs with their weapons raised. They looked like they were coming to attack him and Rei. Suddenly, his sword, Rei's utility belt, and her dagger chains came through the doorway and were zipping towards them in mid-air as if they had a mind of its own, with the door slamming shut behind them.

Then, one of the handcuffs around Law and Rei clicked open and fell to the floor. They both scrambled to their feet with Rei's right hand still cuffed to Law's left. Law turned just in time to see a glimpse of a small Tontatta with two long black braids and a blue knitted cap jump into Rei's pocket as Rei fastened her utility belt around her waist and returned her dagger chains into her belt. "You can yell at me for this later," she said to Law.

"What?!" Law shouted.

"Linked Haki," Rei stated and suddenly Law found himself underwater on the other side of the ship and quickly losing consciousness.

The marines on the other side of the door were starting to break down the door. By the time they raised their weapons and fired their first shot, Rei was already swimming away with a Tontatta in her pocket and dragging a weakened Law behind her.

* * *

By the time Law came to, his respiratory system seemed to be on fire and it felt like a sledge hammer was being knocked into his chest repeatedly. He coughed up salty water and tried to sit up but was knocked back down by the hammer-like force. He opened his eyes and looked down his chest to see the source. It was the Tontatta with the two braids. Her knitted cap was now soaked through and was sagging heavily by the weight of the water. She wore a dark purple tshirt with denim blue overalls that were folded just above her ankles. Her tail was as black as her hair and she had boots to match. Her large black pupils looked back at him as her fists balled up against his chest.

Law tilted his head up and looked up at the sky but instead of seeing clouds, he saw only leaves and thick vines hanging high above his head. It seemed as though they were in a rainforest. He propped himself up by the elbows and realized he was lying down on a root of a giant tree. The tree was covered in patches of green moss, which extended all the way down to the roots. The roots itself was shaped like bent fingers, propping the tree above the floor by several feet. There were trees all around them. Some were covered in green moss, like theirs and the rest had no moss on it at all, except one. It was about 5 feet across from them and the only difference between this tree and the others was that it was covered in yellow moss.

"Where am I?" he groaned.

"He's awake!" the Tontatta squeaked up into the heavens, "Reiland! He's awake!"

"Coming!" came Rei's voice from somewhere above followed by the sound of rustling leaves.

Law looked back up just in time to see Rei jump from the branch of a nearby tree. She was at least 20 feet above him. She somersaulted through the air and grabbed onto the side of the tree that Law and Kio were resting on. Her cloak whipping behind her by the wind. She slid down with ease and landed with two feet on the roots. She wiped her hands on her pants and then looked over at Law. "You okay?"

"Am I okay?!" Law asked as he pinched his fingers to the bridge of nose to stop a headache from forming, "You dragged me underwater, under  _SEA_  water, without any warning, and you ask me if I'm okay?"

"Well, you're alive," the Tontatta said cheerfully as she jumped onto Rei's shoulder, "And that's all that matters. For a second I was worried because you weren't breathing when we took you out of the water. Your heart wasn't beating either but now you're all better!"

"What?!" Law scrambled to his feet. "Rei-ya-"

Rei crossed her arms and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Before you say anything, remember that you came to me and not the other way around. Besides, like Kio said, you're fine now. That's all that matters."

Law took a deep calming breath and pointed a finger at the Tontatta, "And I'm guessing this is Kio?"

"Oh yes! I haven't properly introduced myself!" Kio exclaimed as she took off her beanie and clutched it to her chest. She made a small bow to Law, "My name is Kio. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I came across Leo and the Tonta Corps when I was trying to find Sengoku's ship," Rei explained, "And she wanted to come with me. She was my eyes and ears on the ship and I had her stay near the navigator."

Kio nodded earnestly, "En! And I wasn't supposed to come get Reiland until I heard the Navigator say we were about a league away. Reiland also said to grab her things too because they would be sure to take it away and she was right!"

"Grabbing Law's things and the key to the handcuffs was good thinking on your part though, Kio," Rei added, "How did you know to take those with you?"

"Well I saw a man everything with him and since they were with your belongings, I figured might as well take it all!" Kio stated with a slight blush at Reiland's compliment.

"Aren't you worried that the Navy is going to come after us?" Law asked.

"Not here," Rei answered, "Sengoku knows about this island. They wouldn't dare step foot in here."

Kio nodded solemnly at Law, "Reiland told me this is the island of heaven and hell."

At this point, Law was too exasperated to ask them to elaborate so he didn't ask. He didn't need to though as he immediately got his answer. A small creature fell from high above the trees. With a tiny squeak, it bounced off the roots and onto the ground below.

The ground looked like it was covered in muddy water and the creature was soaking in it. It looked to be like a mouse with a horned toucan beak and it was still alive. Before it could even move, it was swallowed up by the earth and it sank. Instantly, Rei's hand shot out into the muddy water and pulled out the creature, who looked quite frightened.

"Quicksand. This entire island is covered in quicksand," Rei explained to the stunned look on Law's face. What was surprising to Law wasn't the quicksand, though, it was the fact that Rei's hand was coated in her Armament Haki.

"You need Haki to pull that tiny thing out of there?" he asked.

"Yeah," Rei said as she wiped the mud out of the creature's eyes before setting it on the tree roots. It gave a squeak of appreciation before scurrying off to another tree. "Haki is the only way to pull anything out otherwise, you'd get sucked in too. Although, you should just avoid touching it completely."

"Why?" Law asked.

"Because it's salt water based," Rei said.

Kio held up her own hands and then formed them into fists, "I can't make my hands black yet but Reiland said she'd be able to teach me!"

"I said I would try to teach you. No promises," Rei corrected and she fixated her gaze back up on the trees.

Kio pumped her fists in the air and then flexed her arms to show Law how strong she was, "I want to be the strongest fighter in the Tontatta tribe and be a legendary warrior like Luffyland."

Law noticed that Rei was looking around at each tree. "What are you looking for?" Law asked.

"The tree of life," Rei answered, "Once we get there, then we'd be able to find Marita."

"How do you know which one is the tree of life?" Law asked.

"Easy," Rei said, "It's the one that will try to kill you when you get near it."

Kio gasped and then clasped her hand over her mouth. She didn't want to sound cowardly in front of her new friends, especially since they were so much stronger and braver than she was. Rei heard her, though, and picked her up with her fingers and dropped Kio into her shirt pocket.

"Just stay in here and hang on," Rei said assuredly, "You'll be fine."

Kio felt a little embarrassed and ashamed that she had shown signs of fear. She always dreamed that she could go off on an adventure and do great things. Now was her chance and she was scared?! She clenched the fabric of Rei's pocket in her hands and bit her lip. _No, Kio!_ , she thought to herself, _You can do this!_

The noise of a stomach growling caught both Kio and Rei's attention and they turned to look at Law. He scratched the back of his head and avoided their gaze. He could feel his cheeks turn red and he coughed sheepishly.

Rei said nothing but she started to back up towards the trunk of the tree. Then she sprinted down the root and leapt off the edge and over the quicksand. She landed on the roots of the yellow tree directly across from Law and started to climb up the trunk. She was soon lost in the branches and leaves above. The only thing Law could do was follow the sounds of movement overhead. After a few minutes, Rei leapt across the air and came down the tree exactly the same way as she did before. This time, she was holding a large, yellow fruit in one of her hand. It was shiny and smooth with large green leaves coming out from the top, like a pineapple if it had all its thorns removed.

Rei took out a dagger and sliced it horizontally in the middle. Pink juice dribbled down the cut and onto her hand. She took the top half of the fruit and offered it to Law, revealing a pink flesh in the middle of the fruit. He gratefully accepted it and ate it while Rei wiped her dagger clean with the edges of her cloak. She gave her half to Kio to eat first. Law was surprised that the fruit tasted like a salted tomato and Kio thought the same thing.

"This fruit does not taste the way it looks," Kio said as she happily took another bite of the fruit, "How did you know we could eat this?"

"I don't. I took a chance," Rei responded without looking up from cleaning the blade of her dagger.

Immediately, Law and Kio froze in mid bite and looked at Rei with widened eyes.

"Kidding. You can eat it," Rei said. She got up to her feet and walked towards the trunk of the tree, ignoring the death glare coming from Law. She slid her hands down the green moss and showed Law and Kio her palms. It was covered in a thin, clear slime. "This is known as the Temptation Tree. The moss makes it impossible to climb up but it's the only type of tree that bears fruit that is edible."

She then pointed at the trees that have no moss, "Those trees are the most common along the island. They're called the Trap Trees. They only grow poisonous fruits and their branches are brittle that it'll snap with any sense of pressure. So either you'll die from poison or die from falling into quicksand."

She then pointed towards the yellow moss covered tree, "That's known as the Ladder to Heaven Tree . It's yellow moss is dry and strong so that you can use it to climb up. It bears no fruit but if you find a Ladder Tree, you'll most likely find a Temptation Tree around it and be able to get the fruit from there."

"No wonder this place is called the island of heaven and hell," Kio said in wonder.

"How do you know so much about this island?" Law asked.

"You'll see…" Rei answered softly and mostly to herself, "Although, I kind of wish you won't…"


	56. the Tree of Life

Law was grumpy. They had been walking around for the whole day searching for this so called tree of life. The sun was about to go down and that did not bode well for them. It was hard enough getting around the island but without a light source, it would be impossible to move around.

Law had a sneaking suspicion Rei was deliberately sticking to the roots of the tree and not climbing up because of his freshly reattached arm but said nothing. They hadn't spoken to each other for over an hour. They had passed the time by sharing their life stories. Law had told her about his history with Doflamingo and the story of Cora-san. In return, Rei filled him in about her family history and how she joined the Straw Hats. They had reached a mutual understanding of each other and nothing else needed to be said.

Finally, Rei broke her silence because there was something that had been weighing in the back of her mind ever since they left the ship. "Hey, Law?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Zoro is back with Luffy and them?"

"Huh?" Law asked, not sure that he had heard Rei correctly, "You're asking me about Zoro-ya? How should I know?"

"That's true…," Rei said and silently prayed that Zoro was back with the others and not lost at sea somewhere or worse. She gulped. Even if by some miracle Zoro found his way to this island, would he even survive the trees and quicksand, let alone find her?

"Are you worried about him?" Law prodded.

"Yes," Rei answered truthfully, "He's my nakama and if anything happened to him because of me…"

"Are you sure that's all there is to it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rei asked.

"I'm saying would you be this worried if someone else came after you? Like Luffy-ya? Or even Nose-ya?"

Rei whirled around to face Law. "Of course I'd be this worried," she said indignantly, "Although, there is the extra worry for Zoro just because of his terrible sense of direction but other than that-"

"Okay, okay," Law sighed as he walked past Rei with a bemused look on his face, "Don't need to get all defensive about it."

Rei could feel her cheeks get slightly red but she couldn't understand why. "There is nothing wrong with being worried about my nakama," she said but even to her, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

She turned back to start walking forward again and was just in time to see vines shooting down from the canopy above and wrapping itself around Law.

"What the-?" Law yelled as he cut the vines off with his sword.

"Law!" Rei shouted, which woke up Kio in the process. She poked her head out of Rei's pocket and looked around sleepily.

"What happened?" she yawned as Rei ran to Law's side.

Suddenly the vines came shooting down again but this time, Rei and Law were ready. They ducked and weaved out of the way while cutting the vines down with their blades. Kio let out a little yelp of surprise.

"Be careful not to fall into the quicksand," Rei warned as she sidestepped incoming vines.

"Room!" Law said as he held up his hand and created a spherical space surrounding him and Rei. It reached high up to the tops of the highest branches. With two quick slashes with his devil fruit powers, vines and thick branches started to fall down towards them.

"Ahhhh!" Kio screamed at an incoming branch.

"Shambles," Law said coolly and the branch switched places with a small leaf, which gently landed on top of Rei's head.

"Stop right there!" a deep female voice barked down from above, "You dare to cut the sacred branches of the tree of life?!"

Law started to say something but Rei raised a hand to stop him. "It is our right to defend ourselves just as it is the tree's right to defend itself," Rei shouted back up, "Such is the way of life, is it not?"

There was silence in the air and both Law and Kio blinked at Rei, unsure of what to make of her outburst. Rei remained motionless and just kept her eyes focused towards the sky.

"Pwahahahhaha, so you've come back you little runt!" the voice replied, "Boulder! Spur! Send the carrier down. The runt is back!"

Suddenly, there were shouts of whooping and hollering from above and a large basket shot down from the sky. The basket was woven by thick, glossy leaves and were big enough to fit five grown men.

"Law," Rei warned quietly enough so that only he could hear her, "Whatever happens, just follow my lead. Don't make the first move. Let me take care of everything, okay? No matter how insane I might come off, just go along with it."

He looked at her as if she was already sounding crazy but she fixated her gaze on him until he finally nodded back in agreement.

"And Kio, that goes for you too. Just stay in my pocket and remain silent. No matter what I say or do, just go with it," Rei added.

"Yes, Reiland!" Kio complied whole heartedly.

"Okay then," Rei said as she hoisted herself into the basket gestured for Law to do the same, "We're going up the the tree of life. Hold tight."

"Hold tight to wha-" Law started to ask as he climbed in but before he could finish his question, they were pulled upwards at a breakneck speed. He was so close to falling out of the basket but Rei pulled him into the basket at the last possible second. The wind whooshed past his ears and they soared high above the tree branches.

"Wheeeee!" Law heard Kio shout with delight before the wind carried her voice away.

Law noticed they were getting closer and closer to the top of the trees and that they would soon fly past the top layer of the forest and soar into the air. He grabbed his sword and was ready to create a sphere big enough to transport them safely back down to the forest floor. They were being pulled past a thick pile of leaves and branches and it was advancing closer and closer.  _This is it,_  Law thought frantically as he started to hold up his hand,  _this is the top layer!_

Rei saw what he was preparing to do and immediately shot her hand. She covered his hand with hers to stop him from forming his room. They pulled through the branches and the basket jerked to a full stop. Law flew right out of his carrier and planted face first into the hairy chest of a very large, round man. He was extremely tan with his jet black hair tied back into a tight bun. He had tattoos all up his arms and across his chest. There were even tattoos coming up his left leg from his ankle to beyond his knees. The rest of his leg was covered by a thick grass skirt.

"Hmmph," the man snorted as Law dislodged from his chest and fell back onto the floor. At least that's what it felt like to Law...But how could it be the floor if they were at the top of the forest? The former warlord rubbed his face and stared down. He was sitting on a branch but it was a branch as wide as a sidewalk. Law scrambled to his feet and looked around him.

Law was mesmerized by what he saw. It appeared that there was a second canopy layer to this rainforest. The bottom trees were so thick with leaves and branches that it looked more like a forest floor and it was enough for new trees to sprout on top of it. If he wasn't just carried up by the basket, he wouldn't have known that he was thousands of feet above the ground.

What was really astounding to Law, though, was that there was an entire village built on this canopy level. The village was made up of huts and tree houses that were nestled along different levels of branches from the thickest trees.

Law turned back to stare at the man, not quite sure of what to make of this place. Then he noticed that the man was standing in front of a small hut with dozens of pulleys dangling around the roof. Some of the pulleys had large baskets hanging from it while others just had vines with sharp ends to it.

The man eyed Law suspiciously before turning his gaze to Rei, who was casually climbing out of her basket. He grinned at her and it revealed that he had lost two of his front teeth. "Runt!" he grunted happily as he held out his arms.

Rei braced herself and placed Kio gently by her feet before walking towards the man, who enveloped her in a huge hug. "Runt! Runt! Runt!" he grunted continuously as he rocked her like a toddler reuniting with his favorite teddy bear.

"Yes, Boulder, I'm back," Rei said, without as much enthusiasm, as she tried to pry herself away from him.

"You have to excuse him. It's been awhile since we've seen a friendly face around here," a voice interrupted from behind. Law couldn't see who it was as Boulder was blocking his view. Then, a man came out from the hut behind Boulder. He was a short guy with the same tattoos as Boulder. He was slim but his shoulders were broad and his arm muscles were proportionally larger than the rest of his body. He also had his hair tied into a bun but his bun had frizzled hairs sticking out of it.

Boulder, thankfully, released Rei from his hold. "Spur," she said with a nod of recognition to the newcomer.

The shorter man came up to Rei and then did a very odd thing. He extended his arm around her and placed his hand on the small of her back. He was still standing a foot away from her so he had to bend a little to reach her back. "Welcome back, Runt."

Rei nodded and waited for him to bring his hand back before she did the same to him. "It's good to see you again, Spur."

"You look like hell," he drawled and squinted his eyes to look her up and down.

 _Thwack!_ Rei punched him straight in the gut, enough to make him double over, and smirked while Spur coughed and gasped for breath. "Now you do too," she said.

"Pwahahhahaha," the deep female voice laughed from above the group. They all looked up to spot the source. A woman somersaulted down from her place in the branches. She landed gracefully on her bare feet right next to Spur and Rei.

She was a wearing a dress made up of stringy green leaves that had the texture of fringe and hung down to her knees. The dress had thin straps to it and it was low in the back, revealing a tattoo along her spine. Her raven black hair was tied into a tight ponytail, which went all the way down to her waist. Her skin was tanned to a light bronze and her eyes were a fierce gold. She was about a foot taller than both Rei and Spur and eye level to Law. She was slim but her muscles were noticeable enough for people to know she was not someone to mess with. Still, she paled in comparison to Boulder, who stood a whole head over her and was at least three times her size.

Both Boulder and Spur bowed down to her when she looked over at them. Her eyes met Rei's and they gave each other a nod of recognition. Then she looked over at Law and her eyes narrowed. She walked over to him in measured steps, like a panther coming towards its prey. "An outsider," she growled lowly in the back of her throat as she raised her hand menacingly and got ready to strike.

_Slap! Slap!_

In a blink of an eye, Rei ran in between Law and the woman. With one hand she held onto the woman's wrist, holding it in place, and with the other she held down Law's wrist, stopping him from pulling out his sword.

"You," the woman hissed at Rei, "Haven't you learned your lesson on what would happen if you bring an outsider into our village?! A male outsider?! Not even Baba would be able to step in this time."

Rei glared fiercely back at the woman as she fought to keep the woman's hands inches away from her face, "Not an outsider. This is my man."

Before Law could react, Rei gave a sharp squeeze to his wrist to remind him to just go with it. He held his tongue and decided the next time he would think twice before following Rei-ya's lead instead of Straw Hat-ya's.

The woman seemed to take the news the same way Law was and looked at Rei as if she had grown three heads. "You? You decided to take a man?"

Rei tilted her head to the side. "Why not? It is the way of the world, is it not?"

The woman threw her head back and let out another laugh, "Pwahahhahaha!" At this, Rei let go of the woman's wrist but kept her hold on Law. "Pwahahahaha! I never thought I'd see the day. The runt has taken a man. Oh! Baba will be so amused by this news."

Rei took this moment to look back at Law and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Just go with it," she mouthed to him before turning her attention back at the woman and releasing her hold on his wrist.

"Well then," the woman said as she came up to Rei and put her hand on the small of Rei's back, "Welcome home, Sister! Let me take you to Baba!"

Rei relaxed her stance and let out a small sigh of relief. She returned the gesture, with her hand on the woman's back. "Yes, thank you, Bridia."

Then the woman enveloped Rei in a hug, almost as forceful as Boulder's, and practically lifted Rei off the ground. "RUNT IS BACK!" she cried up into the sky, "OUR RUNT IS BACK!"

More cheers sounded from above, indicating that there were more people present than Law was aware of. He looked up high into the trees and spotted a few women in similar stature as Bridia among the branches. They all had weapons ready at hand. They were all wearing clothes made out of various types of leaves and hid well in the branches. Some had spears while others had bows and arrows. This was definitely a fighting tribe and Law was starting to understand why Rei-ya had asked him to take her lead.

Bridia finally lowered Rei back on the ground and placed her arm around Rei's shoulder. She walked Rei along a branch that went around the hut at an upward incline. "Come, come! Baba will be so happy to see you." She then glanced over Rei's shoulder at Law and snorted at him. "And you, don't get lost, okay? Just follow along like a good man should," she said condescendingly.

"Oy! I have a name!" Law snapped unable to contain himself, "Do you even-"

"Silence!" Rei commanded in a tone of voice Law didn't even know she had it in her. She turned around stared at Law with an icy gaze, "Know your place."

Law and Rei glared at each other for a few moments until Kio suddenly popped out of Rei's shirt pocket. She was held up a little sign that said "Just Go With It!" and it was just tiny enough for Law to see. She then quickly ducked back into the pocket as not to get discovered. Law clenched his teeth and took a long calming breath, which did not do much good. "Whatever you say…"

"Pwahahhaha!" Bridia laughed again and threw her arm around Rei's shoulder again, "Should've known, Runt, that you wouldn't know how to keep your man in check."

* * *

Zoro was getting restless. The prince might know how to navigate a ship but he sure as hell didn't know how to properly stock one. They've only been at sea for two days and they were already out of booze!  _As much of an idiot Curly Brow is,_ Zoro thought as he shook an already empty bottle in hopes it would have miraculously filled up with the delicious liquid,  _he at least kept enough food and sake to last us for weeks._

"Oy! How much longer until we get to the Know It All?" he barked at the prince, who was standing at the helm.

The prince looked down at the palm of his hand where Rei's vivre card was placed. The sun was just about to set and the skies were starting to turn dark. "I don't know," he sighed, "But we've been going in the same direction for hours, so we must be getting closer."

"Do you have any idea where she might even be?" Zoro asked, "You've known her all your life. Surely you'd know all the places she's ever been to."

"Yes but what if she didn't take Marita to a place she's ever been to before!" Ellis shot back exasperatedly, "What if she took her to a new island that no one knows about?"

"Tch, I may not have known her that long but even I know that wouldn't be her style. The Know It All is always careful. She wouldn't just take Maria-"

"Marita!" Ellis corrected for the thousandth time that day.

"Right, her. The Know It All wouldn't just leave her just anywhere. It would need to be a place that the Know It All knew well enough, right?"

Prince Ellis remained silent and then racked his brain to remember the events from that night.

* * *

_\- Flashback, 3 years ago, Ellis: 16, Rei: 17 -_

Ellis tossed and turned in his bed. He hadn't been able to sleep ever since Rei had discovered that both Marita and Beffi Island were in danger. His fists balled up around his sheets and he clenched it with frustration. He was the prince of a fighting country yet he could only stand by the side and let Rei take care of everything. She had a plan and he had full confidence in her. Yet it was not lost on him that he was the one who was supposed to be doing the protecting, especially for the woman that he loves.

Rei and Marita had been gone for 3 full days now. Rei had said she would return within two, otherwise people would start to notice her absence, and it was not like her to be late. Suddenly, there was a small knock at his door. He sat up from his bed in full alert.

"Yes?"

"Sorry for the interruption, your highness, but it's Commander Rei. He said it was urgent," came the voice of Ellis' usual nightguard.

"Yes, please! Let him in!" Ellis said with relief as he scrambled out of bed and towards the door.

The door opened and Rei walked in with her usual cloak and mask. She nodded at Ellis and then towards the guard. "Thank you," she said in her lowered voice.

The Green Cloak bowed his head and then shut the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked shut, Rei crumpled to the floor.

"Rei!" Ellis gasped as he rushed to her side, "Are you-"

_Smack!_

Rei's palm smacked right in the middle of Ellis' face and it shut him up instantly. The gesture also revealed dark purple bruises up and down her arm. "Shhh," Rei whispered hoarsly, "Don't alert the guards."

Ellis pulled the mask off of her face and saw that the right side of her face was heavily bruised and her left eye was swollen shut and blackened. "Oh my god! What happened to you?! Is Marita safe?!"

"Shhh! Keep it down," Rei hissed and take a deep pained breath, "It's all taken care of. She's safe. This was all part of the plan. I just need to rest that's all. Just let me hide out in your room for tonight. If I go home now, my dad will see me like this and it'll only worry him."

"Tonight?! You need at least a week to recover from just your face alone," Ellis whispered back, "And what do you mean this was all part of your plan?"

"Just trust me. Besides, it'll be safer for everyone if you don't know where she is. King Godet is watching you like a hawk," Rei said and pulled out a vial from her utility belt. She handed it to Ellis, "Listen. I've ran out of medicine. Go to the royal doctor's supply cabinet and fill this up with the ointment in the blue jar. Those are for bruises. I used it all of mine up."

Ellis looked over Rei's bruised face and arm. "This was AFTER you used the medicine? What the hell happened to you?"

"The less you know the better," she said with a stern glare, "Just go."

Ellis hesitantly took the vial and looked at Rei unsure if he should just leave her unattended.

"I'm fine," she said, her expression softening up to reassure the prince, "Everything is fine now."


	57. Rei's Past: Leethe

Ellis' back was close to breaking when Zoro flung him into a wall. The swordsman had snapped when Ellis told him what he remembered about that night and Zoro's face was white with rage. He stormed over to the prince's fallen body and lifted him up by the lapels of his ruffled shirt, dragging him up against the wall. The prince was the same height as the swordsman but their strength was certainly not equal. It also didn't help that the prince was unarmed, but then again, the prince wasn't prepared to fight the swordsman in the first place.

"You said she was beaten within an inch of her life and you have the nerve to ask her to go back there? AGAIN?!" he roared as he shook Ellis for emphasis, "You either have the biggest balls in the world or none at all!"

"She said to trust her and I did," Ellis said weakly, "And I had no other choice. She's the only person I could count on. Besides, we don't know if she was injured on the island or if it had happened on her way back."

"Do you even know how pathetic you sound?!" Zoro spat and dumped the prince back on the ground. Rei's vivre card floated out of the prince's pocket and started to drift on the floor.

Zoro quickly snatched it up and held it in his palms to see its direction. Thankfully, none of its edges were burning. He closed his fingers around it and brought his fist to his forehead with a slight sigh of relief. He shut his eyes as he pressed his fist against his head.  _She's fine for now,_  he thought,  _She's okay._

If he had a religion he would be praying but he wasn't. He had never cared about the existence of God and he still didn't. But it would be damn helpful that if there was one, it might help him get to the Know It All faster.

"Aghhhhh," he grunted and flung his arm back down from his face. He marched across the ship's deck and leaned over the bannister to look out at the sea. They were well into the night now and the moonlight glistened along the surface of the water. He pulled out the vivre card again to see which way it was going. It was floating forward in the direction that the ship was heading.

Suddenly, Ellis's hand came into Zoro's view and he took the vivre card from the swordsman. He hurriedly took a step back when Zoro started to move towards him. "Whoa," Ellis said putting up his hands up in the air, with Rei's vivre card pinched between his index finger and thumb, "I surrender, okay? You've said your piece and I probably deserved all of that but now we need to get back to business. I'm not here to fight you and I need to make sure we're staying on course."

The two men stared each other in silence. Finally Zoro snorted and looked back out into the ocean.

"Listen, I know I've made a mistake, okay? I took a backseat to something I shouldn't have. I'm here to make amends to that," Ellis continued as he walked back to the steering wheel, "Rei has saved my ass more times than I'd care to admit and after this, she'll never have to again."

Zoro remained silent and said nothing.

"Hey, Zoro?"

Zoro looked up at the prince who gave him two thumbs up. "Thank you for having Rei's back. You're A+ in my book."

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed and returned to staring out at the sea.

_"I don't know much about the matters of the heart but I do know about Haki so I'm going to believe that Haki is the cause of whatever is happening between us. It's the only explanation I can accept…"_

Zoro's jaw clenched tighter as he thought about the Know It All's words. Whatever this was, whatever he felt towards her, it was most definitely not Haki. He knew it in the pit of his stomach but he understood where she was coming from. He had made the decision to just let it go. To let  _her_ go...and then she, again, nosedived into trouble. He had reacted without thinking and now he was in the middle of chasing after her. Again.

 _This is the last time,_  he thought to himself,  _and then if we get out of this...WHEN we get out of this alive, I'm just going to leave her be._

_"Be a man, you shitty marimo."_

Zoro's eye almost popped out of his socket as the Curly Brow's words rang in his ears. "I am a man, you stupid bastard! I'll do what I want!" he shouted into the night.

"What?"

Zoro's neck jerked towards Prince Ellis. He had his hands at the wheel but was looking directly at Zoro with his head slightly tilted in confusion. "Did you say something?" the prince asked.

"Nothing," Zoro snapped back, "Nothing at all!"

_Tch, this would be so much easier with alcohol..._

* * *

_Idiot!,_  Law thought to himself,  _I'm such an idiot! Why did I even think I would be better off with Rei-ya than Straw Hat-ya?!_

He was wearing a ridiculous grass skirt and was sitting cross legged on a bed in a hut. The hut was minimally furnished with everything carved out of branches and trees. There was a bed, a table, and two chairs. The hut was the same size as his captain's quarters of his own ship. There was a window with two giant leaves that hung over it to act as curtains.

His clothes were taken from him by Boulder, who had practically threw him in here after that Bridia girl had taken Rei-ya somewhere else. Thankfully, he was able to keep his underwear on because the grass skirt was cut right at his knees and had way too much movement for his liking. Rei-ya had a lot of explaining to do and if anyone of his crew members saw him like this, he would never live it down.

The door swung open and Rei returned. Law's eyebrow raised as she walked in. It appeared he was not the only one who got a makeover. Rei's tattered cloak and clothes from Dressrosa were gone. Instead, her chest was wrapped tightly in bright green vines and tied off at the back. It revealed her muscled abdomen and her toned shoulders. She had kept her bandages and the gauzes that wrapped around her still-healing wounds and Law could slightly see it in between the gaps in the vines. Her utility belt hung low at her waist and beneath it was a long, grass skirt that hung down to her ankles. The grass skirt was made of dried yellow, stringy leaves and it swished as she walked. Her red hair was pulled back tightly into a high braid. She also had a winding tattoo that stretched from her elbows to the palm of her hands.

Rei saw the look on Law's face and she raised her palms for him to see better. "Don't worry. This is only temporary." She then gestured to her whole outfit and then his, "All of this is temporary."

"I'd certainly hope so," he barked back, losing his cool. He folded his arms tightly across his chest and glared at her, "You better tell me everything now. Who are these people? How do you know them? What does this have to do with that princess you're trying to find? And why in the world am I wearing this?!"

"Wow, I think you look wonderful, Law!" Kio chirped from the open window, "You look like one of them!"

"Why does she get to keep all her clothes?!" Law demanded as he pointed an accusing finger at the Tontatta.

"Because she stayed out of the way and no one has noticed her...yet," Rei said patiently. She went over to one of the chairs and pulled it out from under the table. She then looked over at Law and gestured to the empty chair across from her.

He grunted and walked over to the other vacant chair. She waited for him to take a seat before following suit. Kio happily jumped on top of the table and sat cross legged in between the two big humans.

Rei sighed and folded her hands on the table. "These people are part of a tribe called Leethe. They've been living among the trees for hundreds of years undetected and hidden from the world. They are a small tribe that do not take outsiders kindly and are very set in their ways…I know them because I trained here when I was younger..."

* * *

_\- Flashback, 12 years ago, Rei: 8 -_

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" A young Commander Salo asked the child as she stepped off of the ship and onto the island with nothing but a small backpack and a sharp knife.

She turned to him with an eerie calmness, "Didn't Madame Cecilia say I'd come here and get stronger?"

"Yes…," Salo replied.

"The king said Madame Cecilia is never wrong," Rei added.

"No, I believe he said Madame Cecilia has never been proven wrong before," Salo corrected. He took a deep breath and studied the island behind the little girl. He started to make his way off of the boat. "Maybe I should come too."

Rei put up a hand to stop the officer. "No. Madame Cecilia said I'd do it alone and the king agreed."

"But no one even knows what is on this island. We didn't even knew this existed until Madame Cecilia told us where to look," Commander Salo argued.

Rei turned to look at the island. Her chin lifted high up in the air so she could try to see the top of the trees. Her short red hair skimmed the back of her neck lightly. "I guess I'll find out."

 _I trust Madame Cecilia as much as anyone,_ Commander Salo thought to himself,  _But this is really pushing it. Even if the king has entrusted me with this special mission, it is a big ask for this child...Whoever this child is._

"Right, I'll come back in two weeks to come collect you," he said with a nod, "I'll meet you right back here."

"Thank you, Commander Salo," Rei replied without even looking back at the man as he slowly pulled away from the island on his ship.

Rei took a deep steady breath and gripped the straps of her backpack.  _Here goes nothing._

Days passed and Rei grew hungrier and hungrier. She already had countless nearfalls into the quicksand, innumerous times where she had tried to climb a tree, only having the branch break underneath her or her hands would slip on the slimy moss. She sighed as she lie on the root of a tree with her stomach growling.  _Madame Cecilia is a liar,_  she thought,  _If I just hang on to three more days, I can go back to Beffi Island and tell her such._

Some leaves rustled somewhere above her and Rei jerked herself up. She activated her Observation Haki and tried to figure out what had made the noise. Was it one of those snakes with the head of a hamster? Or was it just the wind?

She tightened her hold on her knife and jumped to her feet. She crouched low and closer to the tree trunk for some protection. She could feel something above her. There was definitely someone there.

With a flick of her wrist, she threw her blade straight up in the air and it launched into the leaves.

_Thwack!_

"Ahhh!" came a high pitched scream before a child emerged from the branches. She plummeted down towards Rei with a shallow gash across her left cheek, just under her eye. Her loose black hair whipped in the air behind her.

Rei's eyes widened and she instinctively opened her arms wide to catch the falling girl. However, this girl was bigger than Rei had expected and they both fell hard onto the tree root. The girl tumbled down from the impact and rolled towards the edge of the roots. Rei scrambled to her feet and ran after the girl. She leapt over and grabbed the girl's hand just as the girl's feet landed in the quicksand.

"Hold on," Rei said through gritted teeth. She dug her feet down and tried all her might to pull the girl out but it was not working.

Suddenly, the girl's hands turned black and so did her legs.  _Armament Haki?_  Rei thought in surprise and the pull of the quicksand slightly lighten. Rei started to take a step back and saw that it was getting easier to pull the girl out. Rei activated her Haki and soon her hands were covered in Armament Haki as well. The girl's eyes widened and she stared at Rei but said nothing as Rei continued to pull backwards.

 _Schlick!_ With one final pull, Rei and the girl fell back against the tree trunk with the girl's feet covered in mud but free from the quicksand.

"You know Armament Haki too?" Rei asked looking at the girl. They were both sprawled on the tree root, panting for breath.

The girl said nothing and just glared her yellow eyes over at Rei before getting to her feet. She backed up a little and then took a running leap to the tree on their right. This was the first person Rei had seen in days so she decided to make the most of it. Besides, she was hungry and this girl could have food!

"Wait," Rei shouted as she hurried after the girl, jumping from tree root to tree root, "Come back!"

The girl turned to shoot another glare at Rei but then her eyes widened in surprise at how much Rei had caught up with her. Rei shot out an arm and grabbed the girl by the shoulder. She pulled back and threw the girl down. Rei leaned over the scowling girl. "Food?" Rei demanded. She placed her hand near her mouth to mimic eating but the girl said nothing back.

They exchanged menacing looks at each other for a moment before Rei immediately jumped to the side to avoid an incoming vine from the top. Another vine came down from her left and Rei dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way, avoiding three other vines at the same time.

"You're a wind user." The girl had finally broken her silence and she stared at Rei curiously.

"What are you talking about?" Rei asked as she hopped back and forth to avoid more vines. She had lost her knife when she threw it and she was slightly annoyed at herself for doing so. Then she jerked to a stop and stared at the girl, "You can talk?!"

 _Thwack!_  A vine lashed out at Rei and knocked her on her feet. "Oof," she grunted as more vines wrapped around her. Within a blink of an eye, she was being pulled up and over the trees. Her head knocked into a branch along the way and she blacked out.

When she came to, she was lying flat on a bed and nose to nose with an old woman whose hair was whiter than a summer cloud and just as fluffy. Rei blinked at the woman but otherwise she didn't move.

"Hehehehe," the old woman chuckled before moving her face away from Rei's, "Funny child. Doesn't even scream when I do that...I usually get a bigger reaction than that."

"Baba!"

Rei turned to see that the girl from earlier was standing at the door with her hands on her hips. She pointed an accusing finger at the old woman, who stood at the side of the bed but was not much taller than it. Now that she had moved, Rei could see clearly that she was draped with a cloak made out of giant leaves sewn together and was holding a wooden cane for support. "Baba!" the girl repeated, "You shouldn't have brought him here! He's an outsider."

"Her," the old woman correctly with a smile still plastered to her face, "This is a girl."

The girl's mouth snapped shut and she looked wide eyed at Rei. Rei sighed and sat up from the bed. "People aren't supposed to know that, old lady."

"Hehehehehehe," the old woman chuckled again and turned back to Rei, "You'll find that I know a lot of things. I'm a wind user. Just like you, apparently."

"Wind user?" Rei asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion, "I'm not a wind user."

"Lies! She could protect herself with wind down in the quicksand," the girl yelled accusingly from the back, "And she used it to avoid our vines."

"Do you mean Haki?" Rei asked, slightly annoyed for being called a liar.

"If that's what you want to call it," the old woman said with a shrug but still smiling as she leaned her forehead against Rei's, "Your wind is strong. I can see it carrying you to great places, little one."

Rei felt herself immediately warmed by the old woman's presence and for a second she felt safe. Suddenly, the image of her smiling mother flashed in her mind. Rei gasped and instinctively pushed the old woman away. It was too forefcul and the woman was knocked off her cane.

"Baba!" the girl cried as she rushed over to help the old woman up and then glared at Rei, "How dare you?!"

"It's alright! This isn't going to kill me, Bridia," the old woman said, giving the girl a pat on the head before getting back on her feet. She then turned her attention back to Rei. This time there was a bit of sadness in her eyes. "Little one, you've been through a lot, haven't you?"

Rei said nothing and jumped off the bed. She had had enough of this island. "Leave me alone," she warned as she picked up her backpack that was laying on the ground and made her way to the door. She didn't get even two steps in before her stomach started to growl loudly.

"Do you want some food, little one?" the old woman asked politely.

"Little one?" Bridia snorted, "More like a runt to me."

"I'm 8 years old," Rei shot back, "I'm average height."

"Psh, I'm 10," Bridia said, marching forward so that she could tower over Rei. She was a full head taller than Rei and took great pleasure in looking down her nose at the little red head, "And you're still a runt to me."

_Thump!_

Instantly she doubled over from Rei's punch straight to her stomach. "Height means nothing," Rei said, "No matter how tall a tree can grow, a strong wind can still snap it in half."

"Hehehe," the old woman laughed as she took Rei by the hand, ignoring Bridia's glare, "Well said. Such is the way of nature, is it not?"

She led Rei towards the door and called back out to Bridia as she did so, "Come Bridia. I'm going to feed this runt. Maybe she'll grow as tall as you and then we'll finally have someone who can put you in your place."


	58. Law's Lesson

It was the middle of the night now and the light source of the room was very peculiar. It was a jar filled with fireflies but the fireflies were three times the size Law was familiar with. The glow was as powerful as an actual light bulb.

"Because I was a child, Baba was able to convince the rest of the tribe to let me stay. In turn, I was to promise never to let anyone else know about this village when I leave. I ended up staying here for a year, training and fine tuning my Haki. I also learned how to throw knives and shoot arrows from them," Rei finished. She looked up from her hands to Law's face and waited for him to ask any questions he might still had.

Unsurprisingly to her, the Heart Pirate still had a lot. "What about that guy who took you here? Weren't you only supposed to stay for two weeks?"

"I told Salo to come back in a year. It took some convincing but he agreed to it," Rei said with a soft smile at the memory, "That guy could never stand his ground with children…"

"So that's why you brought the ex-princess here when she needed a place to hide?" Law asked, "Because you knew how well hidden this place was?"

His observation did manage to catch Rei by surprise and she was impressed by Law's deduction. "Yes, although, convincing them to take her was harder than convincing Salo…Much harder…"

Her hand instinctively went to massage her neck as if the bruises from that day she had brought Marita to the village were still there. Rei sighed and looked at Law, "It was one thing to take in a child but it was another to bring in an adult woman..."

"Wasn't she 16?" Law asked.

"They count 13 year olds as adults in this tribe," Rei explained, "They were going to beat the living hell out of her, as they do with any intruder who insisted on staying. But I couldn't let that happen to her, and they actually didn't want to really, since she was with child. So I made them a deal. I take the beating and if I can make it back to my ship without anyone's help, they would take her child in as their own."

"You mean they only agreed to take the baby? What about the princess?"

"Like I said, she is an outsider," Rei said, "Unless you were born here, you would never be a part of the tribe. They set her up in a treehouse somewhere outside of this village and bring enough food and supplies to get by. Her baby, however, when he is full grown and able to fend for himself without his mother, he is welcome to be part of this tribe. Such is the way of the Leethe."

"Okay…" Law said slowly, "Then what about all of this?" He stuck out his leg from under the table so that Rei could see his grass skirt.

"That's what they wear," Rei stated.

"I know that," Law snapped, "My question is why am  _I_ wearing this?!"

Rei sighed. "The only way I could convince them to let us in, without any one of us taking a beating, is if I said you were my man."

"What does that mean? Am I your husband?!" Law asked.

"No," Rei said.

"Am I your lover?" Law raised an eyebrow.

"I don't even know what that means," Rei admitted.

"Then what does 'being your man' mean then?" Law demanded.

Now Rei's face went a little pink and she avoided eye contact with Law, "You're my servant."

"WHAT?! OW!" Law jumped up so fast from his chair that he knocked it over and slammed his knees against the table in the process, "Are you kidding me, Rei-ya?!"

Kio yelped at the sudden anger from Law and jumped onto Rei's shoulder for safety.

"Women hold the power in this tribe. They are the leaders, the healers, the warriors," Rei said calmly, still seated as Law glowered over her, "The men here are the builders. They do the grunt work. They are the sentry…"

"And they're the servants?!" Law was enraged.

"Outside males, yes. The tribe takes in the stronger ones, who wander into the island. If they seem worthwhile to keep around, they're taken in. The men without any tattoos those are servants." Rei said.

"So those on your hands," Law pointed at Rei's palms, "What does that mean? It's different from the ones on that Bird girl."

Rei lifted her hands to the light for him to see the swirling pattern that went up to her elbow, "It means I'm a wind user. That's what they call Haki. Bridia has the markings of a warrior. She can use Armament Haki but her Observation Haki is quite poor so she is not qualified to be called a wind user."

"Is she going to take us to the princess than? Or are we waiting to talk to that Baba person?"

"We'll need to talk to Baba first," Rei said, "She's the oldest woman in the tribe, that means she's the matriarch. Nothing can happen without her say so."

"And then can I get out of these damn clothes?"

"I like it on you, Law!" Kio chirped from Rei's shoulder, hoping to help.

"What do you know?" Law snapped back.

Kio bit her lip and tears started to well up in her eyes. Rei sighed and gently lifted Kio off her shoulder. She placed the Tontatta back on the table and looked deep into her eyes. "If you're going to be a legendary fighter, you're going to need to stand your ground."

Kio nodded her head and her lips started to tremble, which only made her eyes fill up even more. "I'm sorry," she squeaked.

"There's nothing wrong with crying," Rei said assuredly, "A real fighter is someone who continues on even though he knows he's scared or when he's in pain. If you believe in something, then stand firm on it."

Kio wiped her eyes and took in a few deep breaths. She then nodded bravely at Rei and then turned to Law. She placed her hands on her hips and furrowed her eyebrows. "I think you look great!" She stamped her foot for emphasis.

A small laugh escaped from Rei's lips as a bewildered look crossed Law's face. "You look like Zoro when we tell him he's going the wrong way."

The words came out of Rei before she even knew what she was saying and the smile quickly vanished from her. She froze in place and she instantly felt guilty for having a laugh during this time. If he was lost at sea, it was all her fault. She suddenly felt tired and alert all at the same time. There was a knot in her chest and it made it somewhat difficult for her to breathe.

She realized Law was looking at her. She darted her eyes away from him and could feel heat coming to her cheeks.

"Zoro-ya will be fine, Rei-ya. You're worrying too much."

"What?" she asked defensively, "I'm just worried a reasonable amount for my nakama, that's all."

"No, it's not," Law said, "That's not all."

There was a silence before Law spoke again. This time he spoke gently and even warmly. "Look at me, Rei-ya."

Rei turned slowly in her chair to face Law, unsure of what was happening. Law's eyes had darkened and he had a look that Rei could not describe or understand. He took a step towards her and then another. She found herself frozen in her chair, unsure of what to do. Soon he was standing next to her chair and he had one hand on the table. He leaned onto his arm so that he was looming over Rei. His face was very close to hers and her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" Rei demanded. Her hand went out to push Law away by his chest but he caught her hand in time and held her by her wrist. The hold was firm but there was a gentleness to it that confused Rei even more. He continued to move closer.

"Rei-ya," he said lowly in a tone Rei had never heard from anyone before. She didn't know what it was but it sounded dangerous. It was raw and almost primal. She started to panic.

He put his free hand to her cheek. "I just noticed how pretty you are."

Her instincts took over and she used her free arm to elbow Law across the face. "Compliment me again and I'll kill you!" she shouted angrily.

"Ughhh," Law grunted as he let go of her hand. She instantly fell backwards from her chair and to the floor. Law rubbed his jaw where her elbow had connected and he straightened back up. His normal blase expression came over his face and he raised an eyebrow at Rei, who looked at him cautiously.

"See that, Rei-ya? That's what happens when a man wants to make a pass at a woman," Law said, "And that's how a woman reacts if she doesn't like the guy."

"What?" Rei breathed. She could hardly hear him through the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

Law turned and walked back to the bed. He even had a little swagger in his step. "I'm not saying I like you. I'm just making a point," Law said bluntly as he leaned back on the bed and stretched out his legs.

"What  _is_ your point?" Rei asked.

Law was enjoying her frustration and took his time in answering. He gently took off his hat and placed it at the foot of the bed. "Would you have reacted the same way if I were Zoro-ya?" Law asked before closing his eyes.

 _She made me wear this ridiculous outfit,_ he thought with a smirk as he drifted off into sleep,  _Now it's her turn to feel uncomfortable._

* * *

Zoro couldn't sleep, which was odd because he prided himself in being able to doze off anywhere. There was this one time where he even managed to take a nap while walking down a busy street!

It wasn't the bed on the ship that was making it difficult, as it was a pretty comfortable bed. He had unbuttoned his shirt and rolled up his sleeves for extra comfort so it wasn't the clothes either. It wasn't even the moonlight that shined through the window. It gave a soft glow to everything and made it all look so peaceful.

No, it wasn't any of the things that were physically around him that was keeping him up. It was his head...or who was in his head, to be exact. Every time the swordsman shut his eyes he would see that person and hear those annoying words.

" _Be a man, you shitty marimo."_

 _Don't tell me what to do, you stupid Curly Brow!,_  Zoro thought with a snarl as his eye popped back open for the upteenth time,  _And stop disturbing me in my sleep._

" _You know I'm right."_

Zoro could practically hear that arrogant cook puffing away on his annoying cigarette. Zoro's nostrils flared and he clenched his fist.  _I'm already going after her. What more do you want me from me?_

" _And then what? You go in, kick some asses, save the day, and drag her back to us?"_

Zoro nodded satisfied with that plan.  _Now it seems we're seeing eye to eye._

" _Then what?"_

Zoro scowled that he hadn't gotten rid of the imaginary Dartboard.  _Then we continue on to the New World. Get Kin his son back, go to Wano Country, and then fight Kaido. Obviously!_

" _What about Rei-chan?"_

Zoro's frown deepened.  _What about her?_

" _Are we really going to have this conversation again?"_ came the condescending reply, " _Because I could do this all night, every night."_

Zoro took a deep calming breath and threw his arm over his eyes.  _Just let me sleep!_

" _Are you giving up on her?"_

Zoro let out an audible sound of frustration as he flopped onto his stomach and covered his head with the pillow.  _I'm chasing after her now, aren't I?_

" _You know what I mean, you stubborn bastard."_

"Gahhhh," Zoro said out loud and turned onto his back. He threw the pillow across the room out of sheer frustration. He sat up so that he was on the edge of the bed and placed his head in his hands. "I don't know," he muttered into his hands, "I don't know what I'm going to do."

" _And I don't want to know,_ " came a soft but solemn voice and Zoro instinctively looked up from his hands, half-expecting to see the Know It All standing in front of him. He saw nothing except the door silhouetted by the moonlight.

 _I'm losing it,_  Zoro thought as he got up to his feet and headed for the door, but not before grabbing his swords first.

" _You're losing her."_

Zoro flinched as he grasped the doorknob in his hand.  _I thought I got rid of you, you creepy cook!_

" _It'll take more than Rei-chan to get rid of me from your mind, idiot."_

 _But you heard her._ Zoro jerked the door open and it flew open with a loud bang as it swung outward into the wall.  _She doesn't want to know._

Ellis stared at the grumpy swordsman as he manned the helm. Zoro didn't look like he was in the mood for talking so Ellis ignored him. Someone needed to make sure they were going the right direction and he didn't trust the swordsman, even if he was the only other person on the ship. The prince was prepared to pull an all nighter.

Zoro stomped onto the deck and climbed to the second deck. He dropped his swords to the ground. He hooked his legs on the bannister and started to do sit ups.

" _You can work out all you want, but that doesn't change anything."_

Zoro's knees loosened out of surprise and he quickly sat up to grab the railing to stop himself from falling. He scowled at the cook in his head.  _What more do you want from me? I already kissed her._

" _That's not enough. Explaining how you feel about each other to her is like explaining directions to you. You have to walk her through everything!"_

Zoro re-hooked his legs and resumed his abdominal reps.  _Meaning?_

" _Just tell her how you feel about her. Tell her that you lov-"_

_Thud!_

Zoro straightened out his legs and voluntarily fell back onto the deck below. He stood up quickly and dusted off his knees to show Ellis he was fine and not to worry.

" _You won't even let yourself think it?!"_

Zoro picked up his swords and unsheathed his Wado Icihmonji. The blade glistened in the moonlight.

" _You're not going to even answer me now? I'm a figment of your own imagination and you're going to ignore me?!"_

The memory of the Know It All holding his sword warmed his heart for a second and then his mind turned to the image of Kuina holding the same sword in the same way, bold and fearless. His throat and chest tightened at the same time.  _I can't. Kissing her and saving her is one thing but telling her...saying that I..._

" _Be a man, Morimo!"_

His mind flashed to that horrible moment in the maze. There was about 30 seconds, the longest moment in Zoro's life, when he had held a bloodied Rei in his arms, unsure of what to do. He never wanted to go through that again.  _I_ am  _being a man! I'm protecting her. If I say anything..._

" _Then it'll hurt even more when we lose each other."_

Again, Zoro looked around him as if the Know It All was right there with him but he could only see the subtle sway of the boat as it kept sailing forth. Zoro sighed and sat down on the floor. He propped his knee up and rested his arms on his knees.  _We're pirates. There is no happily ever after for pirates._

" _There's freedom."_

Zoro let out a deep, guttural sound of extreme frustration.  _Luffy,_   _get out of my head!_

" _Shishishishi,"_ Luffy laughed back, " _We have the freedom to do whatever we want. If you want something, take it!"_

" _Don't you want Rei-chan?"_

Zoro pounded the deck with his fist.  _Gah! If you're going to badger me, Curly Brow, at le_ as _t get rid of Luffy and do it one at a time. You guys are making me want to drink and there isn't any on this ship. This is torture. Get out of my head! All of you!_

"Zoro?"

Zoro's head jerked up to see the prince peering down at him.

"What?!" Zoro snapped, although he was slightly relieved it was a real voice for a change.

"There's someone sailing towards us."

* * *

Rei remained on the floor for hours. She didn't even budge after Law drifted into a deep sleep and started to snore loudly. At first, Kio stood by her to make sure she was okay but then the little dwarf got tired and fell asleep too. Through all of that, Rei did not move a muscle.

Her butt and legs was starting to ache and her back was getting stiffer and stiffer but she remained as still as a statue, a very shocked statue.

 _Would I have reacted the same way if Zoro did that to me?,_ Rei kept asking herself over and over again,  _Surely I would have! That look in Law's eyes...he was so close...it was so uncomfortable!_

Suddenly her mind flashed to that moment on the plateau. Zoro had grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her close. The look in his eye was different than Law's. Law had stared her like she was an object while Zoro…it was...just different.

Before she could stop herself, she was reliving the kiss. Zoro's lips had planted firmly on hers and she could smell a faint trace of alcohol on his breath but it was not quite unpleasant. In fact, it was far from it.

Rei sucked in a breath and felt her face flush at the thought.

_Thwack!_

Her cheek stung and turned an even brighter red from her self-inflicted slap.  _Get a hold of yourself, Cogan Reia! What is the matter with you?_

She looked down at her open hand and saw the tattoo along her palm.  _That's right. It's Haki. That's all. Zoro and I share a bit of Haki. That's the only difference between him and Law._

It sounded hollow even in her mind and her confidence in her theory was shaken to its very core. She closed her fingers around her palm and got to her feet.  _I'll ask Baba. She might have some answers._

She quietly went to the door, crouched and tiptoed gently as not to wake Law and Kio. She shut the door gingerly behind her, still bent low. She only let out a breath when the door was fully shut.

"Where are you going, little one?"

Rei gasped and whirled around. She found herself once again nose to nose with the old woman.

"Hehehe," Baba chuckled, "Now doesn't this bring back memories?"

Rei immediately straightened up her back to her full height and looked down at the woman, who had not changed a bit except for deepend wrinkles.

"Baba!" Rei hissed, "You scared me! Bridia said you had gone to bed for the night and wouldn't see me until morning!"

"And yet here we are," the old woman said and started to walk away from the hut.

Rei hurriedly followed behind her silently as they strolled through the sleeping village. The moonlight could barely get through the leaves and branches but there were enough glowing fireflies to keep the pathways safely lit. They walked in silence for a long time, like how they used to spend time together when Rei first arrived.

Finally, Baba spoke. "Do you know why I used to make you walk with me for hours and hours?"

Rei shook her head.

Baba gave a deep tired sigh as she thought about the past. "It was your eyes. There was more than just pain and sadness in them. There was…" She turned and looked at Rei to study her eyes once more. "...Loneliness. There was an emptiness in your eyes that has no place in a child's life."

Then she took her palm and placed it on Rei's chest. "...or her heart."

Rei took a step back and created some distance between her and the old woman. "So what do you see now?"

"Confusion," the old woman said simply and then poked ReI hard in the space between her eyes. "And it all stems from there."

"Ow," Rei said and rubbed her forehead but she said it more as a statement than a complaint.

Baba wagged her finger at Rei. "You're getting in your own way, little one. You have all the answers already, yet you avoid them. You're running away."

Rei was offended. "I have never ran away from anything in my life."

Again Baba poked Rei on the head. "Wrong."

" _Ow,"_ Rei said through clenched teeth, "Baba, I'm not wrong. I'm not running away from anything."

Another poke.

"Baba!" Rei spat out as she caught the old woman's finger with both hands and looked down at her as if she was admonishing a child, "That hurts!"

"Yeah," Baba said with a raised eyebrow and pulled her finger out from Rei's grasps, "Well, at least it's giving your heart a break."

Rei blinked back. "What?"

Baba jabbed her finger but this time at Rei's chest. "Every time you lie to your heart, little one, you are hurting it. The bigger the lie, the greater the pain."

She then took Rei's hands into hers and held it out so that Rei's palms were facing up. "Open your heart, little one, and for once, shut off your mind. There's a storm brewing inside you. I can feel it."

Rei looked at the old woman, who only gave her a gummy smile back. The glow of the fireflies gave Baba a milky silhouette that almost made her look more like a spirit than a human. Rei sighed and retracted her palms from Baba's hold.

"Baba," Rei said with a shake of her head as she walked away, "I don't know what you are asking me to do."

"Bridia says you had taken a man and a pretty good looking one at that," Baba said and Rei turned and looked at the old woman in surprise.

_This was about Law?_

Baba wagged her finger at Rei again and chuckled. "Hehehehe. I'd very much like to meet this man, who has changed you and causes you so much confusion. Come by with him in the morning and then we shall go fetch the ones you seek together."

Rei smiled at how much the old woman knew and how little time had affected her. "So you know why I'm here."

"Of course. The wind has told me. But why now?"

"I have been told that they might be in danger. I just came to double check," Rei replied.

"Ah. Well the most recent batch of supplies was sent to them not too long ago. Couldn't have been more than a week tops. I'm sure it's all fine," Baba said.

"The wind hasn't told you anything? No dangers?"

"I can only know what the wind chooses to tell me. Hehehe. I don't know everything, you know."

A sudden thought came to Rei. "Baba?"

"Yes?"

"Did you come to the hut because you knew I wanted to see you? Or did you come to sneak a peek at the man?"

"Hehehehe," the old woman chuckled as she made her way down one of the branches, "You're the genius. You tell me. Now go to sleep. You look like hell."


	59. Revelations About Rei

"Is he alive?" Ellis asked as Zoro inspected the small raft that was now tied securely to the side of their ship. It had floated towards them and both Ellis and Zoro thought it was unmanned at first. When it got closer to the ship, they realized there was an unconscious man at the bottom of the boat. Zoro wanted to sail on but the prince would hear none of it and demanded that they stopped to help.

Zoro looked at the body. He held a lantern up and saw that the man's skin was raw and red from the sun. There were also deep gashes on his back that indicated he was whipped. The blood on the wounds were crusted dry. The man had no top on but he had leaves and vines around his legs like pants.

"Oy," Zoro said and nudged the body with his foot, "You alive?"

"Don't do that!" Ellis hissed from above, "He might need severe medical attention!"

"Well, I'm not a doctor," Zoro snapped, "And neither are you so what do you suggest we do?"

"Bring him up," Ellis answered.

"What?!" Zoro couldn't believe his ears.

"If he dies, we can throw him overboard, okay?" Ellis replied, "But we need to at least try to help."

"No, we don't," Zoro said stubbornly.

"Zoro, I didn't have to resort to this…" Ellis said hesitantly.

"What?" Zoro's eyes narrowed and he looked at Ellis suspiciously.

"There's another stash of alcohol on this ship," Ellis sighed, "You just haven't found it. If you let me help the guy, I'll tell you where it is."

Instantly, the man was tossed up and over the railing and at Elllis' feet. "That easy?!" he shouted at Zoro, who hoisted himself up to the deck. Ellis was shocked at how well that plan worked. "What are you? A child?!"

Zoro brushed his hands and then put them behind his head. "Okay, I held up my end of the bargain. Where's the stash?"

"In the cupboard under the stairs," Ellis mumbled.

"There's a cupboard under the stairs?!"

"Yeah. You've walked past it a thousand times already. I don't know how you never noticed it."

By the time Ellis had gathered all the available medical supplies and created a pile in the middle of the deck, Zoro was already halfway through his first bottle.

"Ahhhh," he sighed with satisfaction, "Now that's the stuff."

"How does Rei even put up with this?" Ellis said to himself but Zoro heard him.

"She doesn't drink, if that's what you're worried about. I've offered a couple of times but she's always turned me down."

"Oh good." A look of relief crossed Ellis' face and Zoro took offense to it.

"I'm not trying to get her drunk, you know? So there's nothing for you to worry about."

"Oh, it's not that!" Ellis rushed to explain, "I believe you. I do…It's just that Rei has only gotten drunk once in her life and well…it wasn't good."

Zoro lowered his bottle in mid sip. He was suddenly intrigued by what the prince was saying. Some of the sake dribbled out of the bottle and down his chin. He wiped it off with the back of his hand. "What do you mean?"

"We were 16. It was me, Marita, and Rei. It was a few weeks leading up to the wedding-"

"The wedding that didn't happen?" Zoro asked.

"Of course! How many weddings do you think I've had?!" Ellis snapped with his teeth bared. Then, he took a calming breath and continued, "I found a bottle of champagne and snuck it into my room. It took some convincing, but eventually Rei agreed to drink some of it with us. I swear we only gave her one glass of it! She just has no tolerance for alcohol."

"What happened?" Zoro eyed Ellis suspiciously, "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything!" Ellis said but his face started to turn red, "II was all Rei!"

Zoro's gaze became even more severe. "What. Happened?" he asked in a clipped his voice.

Ellis averted his eyes. "She…me…," he mumbled.

"Speak up!" Zoro demanded.

"She tried to kiss me," Ellis said.

"WHAT?!" Zoro was close to breaking the bottle he was holding. His fists were clenched so tightly that he could feel the strain on his knuckles.

"It meant nothing and I knew that!" Ellis hurriedly, explained, "It's just that when Rei gets drunk, she turns into a different person. She turns into a…"

"A flirt," Zoro stated bluntly. He suddenly remembered what had happened on Punk Hazard when they were hit by the drunken gas.

"You'll need to protect me," she had giggled to him before passing out.

"Exactly. She woke up the next day and didn't remember a thing. She had a splitting headache, though, and she swore she would avoid alcohol for the rest of her life. I never told her what happened and I know if I did, she'd be mortified," Ellis said, "Although, I noticed that Marita was acting sort of distant towards Rei soon after that incident. I think it drove a wedge between the two and Rei never knew the reason for that."

"Do you think the Know It All would even notice? It's not like she's a social butterfly," Zoro quipped with a slow, contemplative sip from his bottle.

"True," Ellis returned to his patient.

Then another thought entered Zoro's brain and he eyed the prince. "You've known Rei all her life, right?"

"Yep," Ellis said as he rubbed ointman on the man's back.

"Has she ever kissed anyone before? Or has any guy even tried to kiss her?"

"Ha! Never."

Zoro smirked as he brought the bottle back to his lips and took a long, victorious swig.  _Good._

"Although, she's seen some of them naked."

_Psshhhhhhh._

Zoro spat out the entire mouthful of alcohol and if it weren't for his current mood, he would've appreciated the distance and velocity of the trajectory. "She's what?" he coughed.

Ellis shrugged, "She trained as a boy in the academy. She had to use the boy's locker room. It happens."

"Does that mean that they've seen her-"

"God, no!" Ellis was horrified at the thought, "No! We would always make sure she went in the same time as me. The Green Cloaks would evacuate the shower 'for me' and she would come in to use it. It's just..sometimes they wouldn't get everyone out in time. She'd walk in…and a couple of them were still finishing up their showers…"

"So you were there when she showered?" Zoro's eyes glinted red and he looked like a demon possessed. He leaned forward to get a better look at the prince.

"No!" Ellis quickly answered, "She always showered before me and I guard the door with my back to the locker room! I would never sneak a peek! I'm not that type of person!"

Zoro stared at Ellis long enough to make the prince squirm before relaxing his stance and returning to his bottle. "What did she say when she saw the guys' showering?" the swordsman asked after a particularly long swig.

Ellis shrugged, "She'd just tell them how to boost their training so that they can adapt whatever muscle she thought they lacked. To be honest, I think they were more uncomfortable with her being there than she was."

Zoro choked back a laugh.  _Yah, that sounds like the Know It All…_ "What other stories you got?"

It turned out that Prince Ellis had a full arsenal Rei stories. Her identity had always been kept so secret that those stories were like a treasure chest that was left locked for years and now the prince finally had permission to use the key. He chatted for hours and hours while Zoro listened attentively with his alcohol. Each of the stories left both of them roaring with laughter.

"So of course, all the guys got mad that some of the girls' had formed a huge fan club for Rei and they'd see these girls just follow Rei around everywhere," Ellis explained as he tied up the final bandage on his patient, "Some guys were jealous, while others were just annoyed at the attention she was getting. They decided they wanted to make Rei look bad in front of the girls. They knew they couldn't do that in training, because Rei beat all of them on that front."

"Of course," Zoro said with a smile on his face.

"So they went for the socially awkward part of Rei. They sent chocolates and flowers to every girl in the fan club, pretending that it was personally from Rei," Ellis said, "Each girl thought they were special and that Rei really liked them."

"Oh god,' Zoro cringed, "What did they do when they saw that they all got something from her?"

"Well, obviously, they got really mad. They stormed down to the training grounds to confront Rei and started throwing the chocolates and flowers at her..but you know Rei," Ellis started to laugh hysterically at the memory, "She dodged all of them with her Observation Haki. She told them she didn't understand what they were mad about but she hoped they could find a way to resolve it because emotions have no place on the training ground, which made the girls even angrier."

"So then what happened?!"

Ellis' voice shook with laughter as he tried to regain his composure, "The next day, everyone got sent chocolates and flowers. The boys, girls who weren't even in the fan club, even me! We all got some. This time it really was from Rei. Everybody was so confused. When we found her on the training ground, she asked if we would all throw it at her again because she found it was really helping her train her Observation Haki. She even complimented some of the girls on their throwing arms. So then the girls believed that the Valentine's Day mishap was because Rei wanted to train and not because she was playing them, which made them idolize Rei even more."

Ellis had to pause so that he could catch a breath. He wiped a tear from his eyes as he remembered the boys' stunned expressions and the girls' cries of adulation. "And now, we actually throw chocolates and flowers at the students in the academy during Valentine's Day every year. It's become a tradition. Even I've participated in it and Rei was right. It was great training."

This led to another round of laughter from the deck.

"I can't believe she had a whole fan club and didn't even know it," Zoro eventually said with a chuckle.

"I know! I kept trying to tell her but she thought I was exaggerating," Ellis said, "Every year on her birthday, her locker would just get flooded with presents to the point that some of them would put presents in  _my_  locker and ask that I give it to Rei on their behalf. I don't even know how they got into the boys' locker room in the first place."

Zoro chuckled. "When's her birthday?" he asked.

"You don't know?!" Ellis' face fell and he looked at Zoro incredulously, "That's terrible!"

"It hasn't exactly come up in conversation, you know," Zoro said defensively, "And we've been kinda busy with other stuff."

"No, that's not why I said that. God, I thought she would've told you, or at least Jeffrey-san should've said something," Ellis said as covered his eyes with both his hands, "Oh no…"

"What? Said what?" Zoro demanded.

"Her birthday was over a week ago," Ellis moaned with his face still covered.

Zoro's mind raced as he did the math.  _Where were they a week ago?_

"How long ago exactly?" he asked Ellis.

Ellis lifted his hands from his eyes. "10 days...I could've sworn you guys knew because Jeffrey had sent out Gully Two to wish her a happy birthday. He was hoping Gully Two would get there in time but I guess he never made it?"

"No, he made it. Just not in time," Zoro said.

"So where were you guys on her birthday?"

Zoro sighed, "On Punk Hazard…We were fighting."

"Like a battle or an argument?"

"Both," Zoro said with a flinch at the memory. He thought about his fight with Rei and how much he had angered her. All was forgiven now and he knew it has been resolved…But still...It was on her birthday.

"Okay then, it's settled," Ellis said with a nod, "We go get Marita and my son, we'll celebrate Rei's birthday, and then I'll take you to wherever Straw Hat Luffy and the rest of your crew are."

"No," Zoro shook his head.

"Why? What's wrong with the plan?"

"You gotta deal with that guy first," Zoro said pointing at Ellis' patient, who had just opened up his eyes.

Ellis gasped and grabbed a water flask that was laying by his feet. He brought it to the man's lips and had him drink from it. Water spilled out from both sides of the man's face but he continued to drink it until there was no water left.

"Wh-wh-where am I?" he gasped, "Is this heaven?"

He was a lean man with a shaved head and a stubbly chin. His eyes were sunken and his lips were thin. Zoro figured he was about the same height as Luffy. He slowly put down the bottle in his hand and reached for his swords. The man did not seem like he had any energy to put up a fight but Zoro did not want to take any chances.

"You're fine," Ellis replied to the man, "You're on my ship. What's your name?"

"L-L-Lionel," the man whispered, "My name is Lionel."

"What are you doing out at sea by yourself, Lionel?" Ellis asked softly.

"A-a-a-are you a pirate? Or are a marine?" Lionel asked.

"Neither, I'm a prince," Ellis replied.

Zoro snorted, "A little too honest, aren't we, Your Highness?"

"He's a pirate," Ellis said with a nod to Zoro, ignoring Zoro's quip.

"I'm a pirate too," Lionel whispered, "I got separated from my crew and I've been trying to get back to them."

"Well, you're too weak to do anything on your own right now, so you might as well stay on this ship until you get better. Then I'll take you back to Beffi Island and we'll see what we can do."

"Please...could I take a bath?" the man wheezed.

"Oy, we saved you. It's not your place to make demands," Zoro retorted.

"He said 'please', Zoro. I wouldn't call that a demand," Ellis said and lifted the man to his feet, "I'll take him to the bathroom."

Zoro rolled his eyes at the do-gooder. It was a waste of time, in Zoro's opinion. What if the man was dangerous?

"I'll lock the door from the front so he can't get out," Ellis called back to Zoro, as if he could read Zoro's mind, "There, are you happy?"

"Somewhat," Zoro said with a nod, "I'd be happier if we just tossed him overboard."

"He's one foot in death's door," Ellis grunted as he adjusted Lionel's weight so he could open the door with his free hand. Zoro made no attempt to help, "We'll be fine. Besides, he's not the one in my premonition."

"Premonition?"

Ellis sighed, "You remember Madame Cecilia?"

"The old fortune teller on Beffi?" Zoro scoffed, "What about her?"

"She can see far into the future with her Observation Haki. So can my father and my sister...and recently, I started to too,," Ellis said, "Nothing as advanced as the others but I could see a couple days ahead...a week max."

"What did you see?"

Ellis closed his eyes as if seeing it again in his mind. "I saw Marita, falling to the ground with my son in her hands...Her back is bleeding from deep cuts and she's crying out in pain. Behind her..."

"Yah?"

"And behind her is...a demon with red eyes. He's filled with bloodlust and rage." Ellis said softly and then opened his eyes again, "That's why I sent for Rei. I knew Marita was in danger…"

"And you don't know when this is happening?" Zoro asked.

"I know it will happen if I don't do something about it," Ellis replied before dragging Lionel into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

The sun was starting to rise and the sky was starting to turn from black to purple. Zoro suddenly felt very tired and decided he needed to get some rest himself. He yawned and stretched his arms. He listened to the sound of falling water hitting the bathtub and then Ellis emerged out of it.

"I don't even want to know if you undressed him or if he undressed himself," Zoro quipped with a yawn.

"Go to sleep," Ellis said, changing the subject, as he made his way back to the steering wheel, "I'll wake you up if anything happens. I'll put Lionel in my bed after he's done with his bath."

"Thanks," Zoro grunted and trudged off, "And not just for navigating…For telling me all that stuff on the Know It All."

"Of course," Ellis replied. He waited until Zoro's door was firmly closed before he let out a smile. "The first male member of the Rei Fan Club…"

* * *

_Fight. Win. Kill._

Rei's fingers twitched but she could move nothing else. Once again, she felt her body pinned down and shrouded in darkness. She could see nothing and the rest of her senses were gone too. Her lips tightened into a grimace. She had a feeling this dream would come back again and she had taken the proper precaution. She had left her weapons back in the hut and slept in a tree on the outskirts of the village. No one would be harmed if she had another one of her episodes. Still, she was worried about how far this dream would take her this time.

_Fight. Win. Kill._

The words pounded into her mind once more and she could feel something prickling her legs, like thin pins jabbing her skin lightly. She looked down to see the green smoke wrapping up her legs once more.

 _Haki,_  she thought to herself to calm herself,  _This is Haki. That's all._

She activated her Armament Haki and to her horror could not see her legs turn black. Instead, the green smoke seemed to glow brighter as if enraged. It wound up her legs and body and dove right into her body through her eyes, nose, and mouth. She gasped and choked down the hot and cold energy that entered her lungs and heart. It seemed to pound through her bloodstream and she could feel it all the way up to her fingertips.

_Don't fight me._

If Rei had any control of her body, she would've gasped but she couldn't even express her surprise. The words felt like it was twisting around her heart.  _If Armament Haki, won't work, maybe Observation would,_ she thought to herself.

She stilled her mind and tried to activate her own Haki once more. She felt a small warm feeling in the pit of her stomach and for some reason, even though she couldn't see it, she felt it was the color red. It was immediately engulfed by the green smoke and suddenly, it felt like an explosion went off with her body as the center. Her limbs felt like they were on fire while her skin felt cold. The prickling sensation intensified and for a moment she felt like she was being stuck by millions of sharp needles.

She woke up with a start but not from the pain. In fact, it was her fall that had freed her from her dream. Her eyes snapped open as she plummeted to the floor below and she landed hard on her back. She covered her face with her arms to shield herself from the branches and leaves that were falling down towards her.

When the barrage had stopped, she pushed the debris off of her and stood up. She looked up to see how far she had fallen and was shocked to see that the tree was no longer there. In fact, all the trees within a 300 foot radius were gone with only piles of branches, leaves, and mulch in its place. The entire area had been cleared. She brushed some of the pile away at her feet and saw through the roots to the quicksand and the lower canopy level of the island.

She bent down and picked up one of the cut up branches to examine it. It looked like it had been chopped with a hacksaw and there were even bits of it that were flaking off, like it had partially gone through a wood chipper. She walked through the cleared area and she noticed that the farther she was to her starting point, the bigger the chunks of tree in the piles.

 _Did I do this?_ , Rei thought to herself as she circled the clear area to see if she could pick up any more clues,  _But how?_

"There's a storm brewing inside of you," Baba had said.

Rei frowned and took another look around her. It did seem like a storm had come through and that she was at the eye of it...Or was she the storm itself?  _Is this what happens if I mix my Haki with Zoro's?_

She put her hands in front of her and activated her Armament Haki. It turned black like it usually does. She then brought out her Observation Haki. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. She sensed the presence of the living beings around her. It was all normal. Out of nowhere, she got the sudden urge to push it further and she expanded her senses to cover the entire island. There were hundreds of animals and sixty or so humans. Most of them were all sleeping and were in a peaceful mood. She could sense a mix of sadness, anger, and joy throughout the village, which was normal in a community. Everything was to be expected...except for her current surroundings.

 _Maybe I should tell Law,_  she thought with a frown and then made her way back to their hut. The sun was starting to rise and she didn't want anyone to notice that she had left during the night.

* * *

Back on the ship, a sinister smile spread across Lionel's lips as he rested in the bathtub. His eyes fell upon the bathroom mirror that was starting to fog up.  _The gods have finally smiled upon me. I thought I was a dead man for sure but I've survived...And not only that, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. It's all going according to his plan now. Yes, master will be very pleased with me….Master will be very pleased indeed._


	60. the Newest Line

"Wake up, Law! It's time to go!" Kio shouted as she pounced on Law's chest.

"Oof!" Law flinched at the impact, causing him to cough. "I-I'm up," he wheezed and sat up from the bed.

"Great!" Kio said cheerfully and grabbed his hat from the side of the bed. She hopped on his head, much more gently than her first jump, and placed the hat over Law's head with her hidden underneath it.

Law rubbed his eyes. "Oy, Rei-ya, why am I carrying Kio around?"

"She's not here. She's waiting outside for you," came Kio's muffled reply from under his hat. Law looked around the hut and realized that Kio was right. Rei was nowhere to be seen.

Law placed his feet on the floor and then scowled at his legs. He had forgotten what he was wearing and he was once again angered by his grassy attire. When he opened the door, he was immediately greeted with a spear pointed at his throat with Spur holding on to the other end. "What the-"

Law did a quick glance of his surroundings and saw that Rei was suffering the same treatment. Bridia stood in front of Rei with a dagger right under her chin. Behind her stood a mob of people holding weapons as well.

"Explain," Bridia seethed.

"I told you," Rei said calmly, "I don't know who else would be here. Law and I came on our own and not by boat. We swam here."

"Lies! Our sentry has spotted a ship on this island with no one on it. That means they are on the island and  _you_  brought them here," Bridia hissed and pressed the blade closer to Rei's skin, enough for a shallow cut. A faint thin line of blood dribbled down her throat but Rei did not react.

"I could've disarmed you a long time ago, Bridia," Rei said calmly, "But I didn't. I didn't come here to fight. I came only in peace. If you don't believe me, then kill me now and be done with it. That still won't answer who is on this island."

Bridia growled low in her throat and then retracted her blade. "I'll personally go and find out whether or not you are full of lies. If I discover you do know who these outsiders are, there will be hell to pay."

Bridia pointed a finger at Boulder. "You take them to Baba's but don't take your eyes off of them. They are to stay at Baba's and not to leave."

"I need to see Marita and her baby!" Rei shouted, finally raising her voice, "Baba had already agreed to it last night!"

"I didn't hear it so it doesn't count," Bridia sneered, "That could be another lie for all I know."

"Bridia," Rei warned in a low dangerous tone matching Bridia's, "If something is to happen to the mother and child, I promise  _you,_ there will be hell to pay."

Bridia did not care for Rei's attitude one bit and she lunged forward at Rei with her knife in hand.

_Shing! Clang!_

Bridia's knife fell to the floor as Rei held up one of her dagger chains. There was a cut on Rei's cheek and a deeper one on Bridia's hand. Blood dripped down Bridia's fingers and fell on top of her dropped blade.

"I told you I could've disarmed you a long time ago," Rei stated.

"And you said you didn't come to fight," Bridia hissed.

"Self defense. You attacked me."

A woman carrying a spear and shield made out of wood came rushing forward towards Bridia. "Sister! Someone has attacked the trees towards the west of the village! They're all gone!"

Bridia whipped her neck around to look at the woman with a stunned expression on her face, "What do you mean they're all gone?! Those trees are harder than rocks!"

"That was me," Rei stated.

Bridia looked thunderously at Rei. "You?" she growled.

"I didn't mean to," Rei said without batting an eye, "It was an accident."

_Slash!_

Rei jumped back in the nick of time as Bridia's long claw-like nails swiped out at her. She was able to dodge the attack but her utility belt did not share the same fate. Her right side pouch ripped open and the contents spilled onto the floor, including some vials, scraps of paper, and her green notebook.

"What's this?" Bridia said as she picked up the notebook.

Rei sprang forward but was blocked by Spur, who stepped in to intervene. "Give it back," Rei demanded.

"Is this important?" Bridia taunted as she waved the notebook in the air, "Does the runt keep a diary now?"

"Bridia," Rei warned, her eyes flashed with anger.

Bridia thumbed through the pages and then snapped it shut. "I think I'll take this with me. Maybe do some light reading."

"Give it back, Bridia!" Rei warned again and raised her daggers.

"Enough!"

One by one, the mob parted and both men and women bowed their heads. Law followed Rei's gaze and watched as Baba came walking through the parted crowd with her cane in hand. Her eyes were narrowed but not out of anger or frustration. It was a look of sadness. "Enough. You two are sisters. There is no fighting among kin."

"Baba," Bridia argued, "The runt has been lying to us! She has-"

"She has come here in the hopes of getting some answers," Baba interrupted and shot Bridia a stern look, "You always think the worst in people and you always jump to . Tsk. Always the first one in a fight."

She sighed and shook her head before turning her attention to Rei, "And you...you need to learn to put your trust in people that care and trust in you."

Rei tilted her head to the side. "Meaning?"

"You never tell us the full story and keep all your troubles to yourself," Baba said and pointed a finger at Law's head, "You need to explain that."

 _Crap,_ Law thought,  _How did she find out about Kio?_

Baba walked closer to Law and peered at him for a moment. Then her hands shot out and she pulled his face down towards her. She turned his head one way and then another, giving him a thorough inspection.

"Explain..." she muttered solemnly before releasing her hold on him.

Everyone around her leaned in to hear what she had to say.

"Explain how on earth you managed to convince such an attractive man to serve under you."

Spur and Boulder collapsed to the ground while Law put a palm to his face. Even Kio squeaked in surprise but thankfully it was muffled by Law's hat and hair.  _This old woman is a perv,_ Law thought as he shot an annoyed look at Rei.

"I never thought you'd take a man, little one," the old woman said with a giggle, "But I can see why you did. I can also see why you're having so much conflict in your heart. Attractive men have a tendency to cause that. I should know. I went through that with five different men by the time I was your age."

"Baba!" Bridia shouted with a stamp of her foot, "Now is not the time! Please don't tell me you're only here to check out the Runt's man."

Baba wagged her finger at Bridia again. "Temper, temper," she warned, "If you're so inclined, go see about these outsiders for yourself. Take Spur with you if you must. He has a great aim and knows how to use the vines to his advantage."

"I was already planning on doing that," Bridia snapped, "And what about the western trees?"

"They'll grow back," Baba said with a shrug, "Now off with you. You're dismissed."

Bridia's eyes narrowed but she held her tongue and turned to leave. "Come on, Spur!" she barked.

"I want my notebook back," Rei called after Bridia but Bridia pretended not to hear her.

"Don't worry, little one. You'll get it back," Baba said, "I promise."

Rei casted a wary glance at Law and got up to her feet. She sighed and looked at Baba. "I'd very much like to see Marita now," she stated.

"But Bridia said-" Boulder started to say but Baba quickly interrupted him with her chuckle.

"Hehehe. A grandmother's wish will always trump her granddaughter's." She then leapt on Law's back and flung her arms around his neck so that he could piggyback her, "And youngsters should always respect their elders and take good care of them."

"Baba!" Rei and Boulder gasped at the same time. Both were appalled and shocked at her behavior.

Law was having none of it. He held his arms out as not to provide any support for her. "Oy, old hag. Get off."

"Don't talk to Baba like that!" Boulder protested.

"Hehehe. Don't be so mean," Baba teased to Law, showing she took no offense, "I hardly weigh anything. Besides, aren't you a doctor? Shouldn't you be taking care of the elderly?"

Law looked at the woman in surprise. "How did-"

"I have my ways," Baba said with a laugh. She was thoroughly enjoying his attitude and was even kicking her legs with glee, "Now be a good little boy and take me to where I want to go."

* * *

Ellis and Zoro both knew they were being watched as they made their way deeper and deeper into the island. However, they chose not to address their new companions. They had a mutual understanding that their priority was to find Rei and Marita. They had left Lionel back on the ship, locked in Ellis' room so he couldn't cause any trouble. He was too weak to join them on this island anyways so it was all for the best, Ellis and Zoro had decided. Every now and then Ellis would check Rei's vivre card for directions and then more often than not, backtrack to retrieve Zoro, who had wandered off.

"This is taking longer than it's supposed to," Ellis grumbled when he found Zoro again, "We've wasted a whole morning and your hair is not making it easy."

"Huh?" A vein throbbed in Zoro's neck, "What does my hair have to do with anything?!"

"It matches the moss down to the texture!" Ellis exclaimed, slapping the green moss on the tree for emphasis, "It makes it that much harder to spot you! It's like you have a moss-"

"Don't say it!" Zoro growled.

"Head," Ellis finished.

"Gah!" Zoro exclaimed in frustration and then pointed an accusing finger at Ellis, "Don't put this on me. If you just followed me, we would've found them by now. I know a short cut. I just know it!"

"Climbing up a tree and swinging from the vines is NOT a short cut," Ellis retorted, "Besides, didn't we already agree after the first fall that climbing up a tree on this island is dangerous?!"

"You know you want to try it! It's really fun," Zoro said with a cheeky grin, "Especially if you scream 'AAAAAHHHH' as you swing."

"How would that help get to Rei and Marita faster?!"

"They'd hear us," Zoro stated.

Ellis shut his mouth immediately, stunned at Zoro's confidence in his childish plan. He raked his hand through his hair and stared up at the heavens.  _Are all your crew members like this, Rei?_

He looked back down and to his dismay, but not to his surprise, discovered that Zoro was no longer standing in his original spot.  _Here we go ag_ ain...

Ellis walked around the tree and spotted Zoro with a sword out. It was aimed at a strange woman with dark hair wearing a dress out of fringed leaves. She also had her weapon raised. It was a small knife but looked very sharp even from a distance.

"Are you Margaret?" Zoro asked bluntly.

 _Marita_ , Ellis thought with a cringe as he watched from behind the tree.

"Who? No!" Bridia snarled back angrily. She was trying to sneak behind the two, during their argument, and surprise them with an attack. She did not expect the mossy one to turn so abruptly and spot her, "I'll be the one asking the questions!"

Suddenly, there was a snapping sound and a net sprang from underneath Ellis' feet. He was pulled up high into the air and he dropped his rapier in the process. The net made of vines encased him and he swung from it helplessly.

"Got him!" Spur's voice called down to Bridia as he stood on the branch that held Ellis's net, "Got yours?"

"Working on it!" Bridia barked back, her whole body tensing up out of anger.

"Zoro!" Ellis yelled from the net, "Help!"

"Shit," Zoro muttered under his breath but he didn't take his eyes off of Bridia. Whoever was up there with Ellis did not seem as dangerous as the woman in front of him. There was bloodlust in her eyes and she had the aura of a wild animal. He would need to deal with her before helping Ellis, "You don't want to mess with me, lady. I'm kind of in a hurry and won't be able to show you mercy if it comes down to it."

"Don't underestimate me," Bridia growled and propelled herself forward with her blade held out in front of her face.

_Shing! Clank!_

Her blade collided with Zoro's over and over again as she whirled and twirled around him with grace and strength. Zoro spotted a pause in her movement and immediately jumped back to create some distance. A cut in his cheek appeared as he did so and Bridia smiled at him smugly. To her surprise, he gave the same smirk back and pulled out a second sword.

"Good," he said as he fitted his third sword in his mouth, "I was beginning to think I wouldn't be able to go all out."

"Three swords?" Bridia's flashed a menacing grin. "Now this is interesting..."

_Snap! Snap!_

Two vines flew down from above and wrapped themselves around Zoro's arms. They pulled him up and he hung in the air with his arms spread wide. "What?!" Both Zoro and Bridia shouted at the same time.

"You took too long!" Spur called down, "Besides, wasn't the goal to find out why they are here?"

"I was getting to that," Bridia spat back, "Just because you're my older cousin doesn't mean you can interfere with my fight. I'm still your superior."

"Ugh," Zoro said disgustingly as cut himself free with the sword in his mouth and dropped to his knees, "And I thought you'd be a worthy opponent.."

Bridia was deeply offended and shocked by how easily he escaped Spur's binds. "I am!" she seethed, "I'm the most worthy opponent you will ever have."

"Highly doubt that," Zoro scoffed, "You seem less threatening than one of Mihawk's apes...even a Haki-less Know It All would be able to..."

Bridia was practically foaming at the mouth. "I don't know who this Know It All is, but I will end you!"

However, Zoro wasn't listening or paying attention anymore. Instead his eyes had locked into a very familiar notebook that had dropped on the ground. He stepped towards it and was met with Bridia's blade. He used his Wado Ichimonji to block her attack and he bared his teeth at her. "Where'd you get that?"

"Why do you care?" Bridia spat back as her blade turned dark as she coated it with Armament Haki.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "I can do that too."

Bridia's eyes widened as his blade turned a pitch black and he quickly disarmed her with an efficient swing of his blade and a hard knock to her hand from the back of his hilt.

Zoro went over to pick up the notebook and went directly to the middle of the notebook. Yes, it was all there.

_Playing games with Luffy_

_Playing chess with Usopp_

_Mixing herbs and medicines with Chopper_

_Fixing the ship with Franky_

_Anthropologie lessons with Robin_

_Helping Nami calculate everyone's debt_

_Building snowmen with Brook_

Then he spotted a new line. A line he hadn't seen before.  _Visiting town with Zoro._

He closed the book and tucked it safely into his belly band, which he still wore underneath his unbuttoned shirt.  _When did she write that? Dressrosa?_

Before Bridia could make another move, the tip of Zoro's Shusui was pointed right at her face. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Bridia's face turned sinister, her anger for Rei overpowering her fear of Zoro, "So you know the runt…"

"Where is she?" Zoro repeated through clenched teeth, "Or should I cut off your limbs one by one until you tell me?"

"Who are you to her?" Bridia snapped back.

 _I'd like to know that myself, lady,_  Zoro thought with gritted teeth but instead he said, "None of your business."

"Rei and I grew up together," Ellis piped up from the net, "She's like a sister to me."

"Can you stop being so honest?" Zoro barked up at the prince.

Bridia was quite pleased by this news. "Sister, huh?" Her lips tightened and then turned into a nasty grin. "If that's the case, I'll take you to her and then we shall see..."

"See what?" Zoro asked.

"If she's a sister to you...or a sister to me."

* * *

"Rei-ya," Law said coolly as he slipped on his familiar black jacket over his shirt, "Why didn't you tell me Baba was such an understanding woman?"

"And why didn't you tell me you were uncomfortable in our clothes?" Baba cooed back as she sipped a hot mug of tea while sitting cross legged on a floor tiled with grass mats.

"Now that Law is back in his clothes," Rei said in a controlled even voice, "Can we get on with it?"

"Of course, dear," Baba replied with a loud slurp from her mug.

"Why do you even have his clothes? I thought Boulder took it. How did it end up in your hut?" Rei asked with a raised eyebrow.

Baba said nothing and answered with only another loud slurp. Rei suppressed her annoyance and clasped her hands behind her back. She knew there was no point in rushing Baba.  _A strong wind cannot move an even stronger mountain. Such is the way of nature_ , Rei recited to herself. It was one of Baba's favorite lectures.

She glanced over at Boulder and was astounded by the man's never ending patience. He watched in silence with a smile on his face like he was among old friends. He was the same age as her and she remembered how Bridia and Spur would constantly tease him about his rotund size when they were children.  _They made fun of me because I was short and made fun of him for being so big,_  Rei thought,  _Go figure._

Rei had brushed off their insults to the side and pretended she didn't hear any of it. Boulder, on the other hand, would just smile back and continue on with whatever he was doing it at the time. He was just happy to be among friends.

"Does this mean I can have my clothes back to?" Rei asked.

"Of course not, dear," Baba said, "You cannot break tradition."

"You don't make any sense," Rei said.

"The wind changes-"

"The wind changes without any rhyme or reason," Rei said without a hint of annoyance or frustration, even though she was feeling a tiny bit of both, "Such is the way of nature. I know, Baba."

"I know you do, little one," Baba replied with a bright smile on her face, "I had the shortest time with you, yet you remember my lessons better than anyone else I've ever taught."

"That can't be true. Bridia hangs onto your every word and she lives for your approval," Rei replied.

"Not recently. She's been such a sour puss ever since her man ran away," Baba complained, "Third man she's lost already."

That broke Rei's composure like a sledgehammer to a mirror. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened.

"I know. I can't believe she found a man, let alone three," Baba said, misinterpreting Rei's reaction.

"Three men have escaped from this island?" Rei asked hoarsely. Her throat felt like she had just swallowed sand and her stomach turned.

"No. The first two died trying to escape," Baba stated, "Just the latest one escaped successfully but he was practically at death's door when he sailed off on his makeshift boat. He couldn't have survived out at sea."

"Baba, are you sure?"

"It would've taken a miracle."

"What was his name?"

"Lionel."


	61. Zoro Reaches a Conclusion

"Are you sure that's all he left behind?" Rei demanded to Boulder as she rummaged through a basket filled with stuff that once belonged to Lionel.

"Yes," Boulder said with a solemn nod.

She took out a shirt, grabbing it inch by inch to feel if there was anything in the pockets. Then she did so with his pants. Her eyes narrowed when she felt something hard and she pulled out a black compact mirror.

"A mirror?" Law asked, observing her investigation from across the room. He was sitting with one leg stretched out and another one bent at the knee. His sword leaned on his shoulder and his hat was slightly tipped to the front so that Kio could secretly grab some fresh air from the back of his hat, "What do you think it's for?"

"At best, for vanity…" Rei stated, her eyebrows furrowed as she examined the mirror closely, "At worst…"

"What? A weapon?" Law scoffed.

"A communication device," Rei whispered softly. She closed her hand around the mirror and stuffed it in the remaining intact pocket of her utility belt. She had to tie her dagger chains around her waist as they no longer could be carried in their usual place after Bridia's attack.

"Communication? How?" Law asked, sitting up a little bit to hear better.

"Devil Fruit," Rei said, "If he has the power of the Reflection Reflection Fruit, then he'd be able to move through the reflection of mirrors and transmit messages through them."

She looked expectantly at Baba, who was still drinking her tea. "Are you sure you haven't felt anything coming, Baba?"

"Nope," Baba said, "But then again, I might be getting old. Hehehe."

"I'm glad you can be so calm during a time like this," Rei muttered to herself and then finally gave up on the basket, "Well, there's nothing else here to worry about."

"Great!" Baba said and she got up to her feet, with the help of her cane, "Let's go then!" She looked at Law and then back at Rei, "Is he a good swimmer?"

Rei gaped at Baba, "Don't tell me...You put Marita through Death's Gorge."

Baba laughed, "You said to keep her safe!"

Rei's eyes widened, "You made her swim that? In her condition?!"

"She came out fine and so did the babe," Baba said with a shrug, "No point in yelling about it now."

Rei sighed and looked apologetically at Law. "I'm sorry, but this is going to be a little uncomfortable for you."

It turned out, once again, Rei-ya was right on the money. They had climbed up to the highest level of the island and walked along the branches until they reached a clearing. When Law looked down past his feet, he saw that the trees had parted to form a small cleft. A violent stream ran through the cleft and in between the trees and then it seemed to disappear underneath more trees up ahead. They were at least 100 feet above the stream and Law could hear the crashing of the waters as it slammed against rocks and tree roots. Law noticed that the trees blocking the stream were green from head to toe.  _The Temptation Trees,_ he thought to himself with a frown.

Rei pulled out a vine and proceeded to tie Baba to Boulder's back. When she was done she approached Law with another set of vines. He immediately backed away from her.

"What are you doing, Rei-ya?" he demanded.

"I need you to stay with me once we hit the water," Rei said, "Otherwise you won't be able to pull through the other end."

"Hit the water? You mean-"

"We're going to need to jump," Rei explained, "We need to land as close to the bottom of the stream as possible or else…"

"The current will slam us into the roots and rocks," Baba said casually.

"The stream will carry us under the trees," Rei said and she pointed to the row of Temptation Trees, "And then dump us into the lake on the other side. There's no way else to get to the lake as it's surrounded by extremely mossy Temptation Trees so you would slip and fall right into the water anyways if you choose to walk there."

Law opened his mouth but Rei knew exactly what he was thinking. "The parameter is too wide that you couldn't transport us safely with Room. This is the only way, Law, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it."

"Rei-ya," Law's voice was dripping with annoyance and frustration, "If you intend to tie me to that man just because I can't swim in sea water…"

"No, I'm tying you to me," Rei said, "Baba is too light to make it to the bottom so she needs to go with Boulder. Us, on the other hand, combine to be about the perfect weight."

"What?!" Law shouted but before he knew it, Rei's back was pressed against his front and they were tied together by the waist. "This is mortifying, Rei-ya!"

"Hold on to Kio," Rei whispered quietly to Law so only he could hear.

Law took a deep calming breath and he pulled his hat tightly around his head. "Fine," he muttered.

"Ready?" Rei asked as she looked over at Boulder, who gave a big grin back.

"Hyaaahhhh!" Boulder yelled as he leapt off the edge of the branch and into the stream below.

"Okay," Rei said and inhaled a deep breath herself. "Ready, Law?"

"You know, Rei-ya, you're more like Straw Hat-ya than one would expect," Law said, finally admitting defeat while still clutching his hat and sword tightly.

Rei smiled a little to herself, "Thank you."

"That's not a compliment!" Law snapped before Rei swan dived into the water.

The wind and salty water stung their face as they plummeted down. When they got to the water, the impact was so great that Law almost let go of his hat and sword. However, he wasn't a former warlord for nothing and was made out of tougher stuff. He regained his composure quickly, albeit his strength was quickly failing him due to the sea water around him.  _Swim fast, Rei-ya,_  he thought to himself.

Rei, to her credit, was able to swim quite well with a grown man strapped to her back and heavy chains wrapped around her waist.  _Hang in there, Law,_ she thought to herself as she partially allowed the pressure of the stream to direct her behind Boulder,  _You can do it._

By the time they came up on the other side, Law was barely holding onto his hat and his nodachi was about to slip out of his fingers. Rei gasped for breath as her head broke the surface. "Law," she breathed, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he murmured softly, "Just get me out of this, will ya?"

She swam to the side of the lake that Boulder and Baba were and she dragged herself and Law out of the water. She quickly untied the vines around her waist and he flopped off of her like a soppy sponge. His chest was heaving and his hat was soaked to the brim. Rei lifted it off of his head to inspect Kio, who was gasping for air but otherwise doing fine. Rei breathed a sigh of relief and then plopped the wet hat back on Law's face, but not before doing a small slight of hand and tucking Kio into Law's jacket pocket.

"So," she said to Boulder, who still had Baba tied around him, "Shall we go see Marita?"

* * *

Zoro was uncomfortable. It wasn't the vine that Ellis had insisted he tie around his wrist, ("In case you wander off again," he had said with a grin) even though it really bruised Zoro's ego to have Ellis do that to him. No, what really bothered Zoro was the way the woman was looking at him as she walked behind him. They were following Spur as he led them deeper and deeper into the island. He was about five steps ahead of the woman but he could feel her gaze on the back of his neck.

"What are you looking at?!" he finally snapped back at her.

She licked her lips and flashed him a grin like a cat, who had finally caught her mouse. "I want you as my man."

"What?" Both Ellis and Zoro cried at the same time. Her words had caught them so off guard that Ellis had stopped short while Zoro didn't turn back in time. The swordsman walked right into Ellis and their heads knocked against each other. "Ugh!"

"You can't be serious," Spur sighed as he shook his head at his cousin, "With your luck with men, you want another one? Especially this one? He looks harder to control than the last one."

"I like him. He's strong," Bridia said with a nod.

"Oy," Zoro grunted as he rubbed the bump on his head from his collision, "Don't get ahead of yourself, lady. You're only alive because I need you guys to take me to the Know It All. It's not because I feel any sort of way towards you."

Bridia put her hands on her hips, "You're the one who shouldn't get ahead of yourself. If it wasn't because of Spur's interference, I'd have beaten you earlier."

Zoro was amused by her bold statement and he gave a smirk. "Fine. Let's have a rematch, right here right now. If you win, I'll be your man...And if you lose…" His smirk turned dangerous and Bridia took a slight step back, "If you lose, then whatever beef you have with the Know It All is squashed. You lead me and blondie to her and then you walk away. Don't cause any trouble with me or the Know It All.  _Ever._ "

Bridia brought out her hand. "Deal."

With a quick cut from his sword, the vine on his wrist fell to the floor, freeing himself from Ellis' loose grip, and he shook Bridia's hand firmly. "Deal."

_Shing!_

Instantly, their blades clashed again with their other hands still holding onto each others. "Ha, not bad," Zoro said as he pushed himself away from her. Both of their blades started to coat with their owners' Armament Haki.

"Oy, Bridia..." Spur started to say but it fell on deaf ears.

Zoro and Bridia were locked in an intense battle. What the woman lacked in strength, she made up for in agility and resourcefulness. She used the trees around her to kick off their trunks and to swing from their branches. Their blades came at each other with such ferocity that minor sparks flew out during the most impactful blows.

The similarities to the Know It All's movement was not lost on Zoro. He noticed that this woman's footwork and the way she held the blade was almost exactly like that of the red heads. Almost. The Know It All had much more precision and her attacks were much more calculated. This woman's motions were like a dance while the Know It All's was militant and faster.

"Oy," Zoro scoffed as he put his third sword in his mouth, "You're going to need to do better than that or else…"

"Or else what?" Bridia panted back as she ducked away to avoid one of his swords. She spun on one foot and swung her blade down towards Zoro's chest.

"Three Sword Style," Zoro growled as he sidestepped her blade by a hair and walked past her while raising his swords, "Toro Nagashi."

He dashed forward past Bridia and only stopped when he was a few feet away. There was a stillness in the air before blood spurted out of Bridia's mouth as more gushed out of the cuts along her body. She collapsed onto her knees, creating a small crimson pool beneath her.

"Or else this deal is a waste of time. The Know It All would be able to defeat you without any help from me," Zoro grunted with his back still turned to Bridia.

"You bastard," Spur growled as he rushed towards Zoro with a vine wrapped around his hand.

"No, stop!" Bridia gasped as she wiped the blood off her lips with the back of her hand, "A deal is a deal."

Zoro returned his swords to his side and exhaled a long breath. "Don't take it personally, lady. I'm not the type to be anyone's man."

Bridia scoffed, "That's what the runt said too but look at her now."

"Huh?"

"The runt always said she would never be the type to take on a man but even she has one now," she said bitterly.

Zoro balked and he shook his head. He couldn't have heard that right. "The Know It All told you she had a man?"

"Of course she did. It was the first thing she said," Bridia said exasperatedly as she got to her feet, "And I have to admit, she did pretty well for herself."

Zoro couldn't help but smile smugly to himself.  _So you telling people about me now, Know It All?_

"Although he's kinda ornery, if you ask me," Bridia said with a sigh.

"Huh?" The smile wiped off of Zoro's face completely, "Ornery? I wouldn't say that."

"Have you never met him?" Bridia asked with a raised eyebrow, "Black hair on his chin, fluffy hat, looks both bored and angry at the same time?"

Zoro's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. "LAW?! The Know It All said her man was Law?!"

Bridia looked at Zoro with annoyance. This man was strong but he sure was thick headed. "I guess that's his name. They're pretty close if you ask me. They stayed up really late too. I was doing my rounds last night and their light was on even after everyone else went to bed."

Zoro didn't know what to react to first. The fact that Law was here on the island with the Know It All or the fact that she's going around telling people that he is her man.  _God damn it,_  he thought to himself,  _I thought Law was back on the ship with Luffy. What is he doing here?_

 _"I could use someone like her on my crew."_ Law's words on the Thousand Sunny suddenly echoed through Zoro's head.  _Don't tell me...By "man" she means...her captain?! She's switching crews?!_

Ellis looked nervously at Zoro. The swordsman looked like he was about to have a stroke. "Uh..Zoro? Are you-"

_Shiiing!_

All at once, Zoro let out an air of murderous intent. There was a flicker of light as the sun bounced off of his Shusui when it sliced through the air. A nearby tree slid down it's angled cut and fell loudly into the quicksand below. Zoro quickly resheathed his sword and then looked expectantly at Spur, as if nothing had happened.

"Aren't you going to lead the way?" he asked.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Bridia snapped at Zoro, who started to walk ahead.

"What was what?" Zoro asked innocently.

Ellis stifled a laugh and followed behind the swordsman.  _Rei-Rei, I know you have your reasons but you better have a really good one this time…_

* * *

Somewhere deeper in the island, Rei stopped mid-step to look behind her.  _I could've sworn…,_  she thought.

"You felt it too, little one?" Baba called down from Boulder's back, "Seems like a wild animal was out there ready to kill. The murderous intent gone now...So someone got to it before it could do any damage."

Rei shrugged and continued on her way, "Yeah, your right. Just a wild animal. That's all."

* * *

"Master, can you hear me?" Lionel choked out as he clung to the desk of the vanity in Ellis room. He had mustered all of his strength to pull himself out of his bed and drape himself over the table. His chin rested on top of the desk and only his forehead could be seen in the mirror, "Master...It's me…"

The reflection in the mirror started to mist and fog on its own. It covered the entire surface until it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. It was replaced by a face of a rather attractive man with high cheekbones, fair skin, and short curly brown hair. The tendrils of his bangs framed his face perfectly and somehow managed to accentuate his smoky grey eyes. The eyes appeared as if a whole storm was brewing around his pupils and they sat under furrowed eyebrows.

"Lionel?" the voice was silky but filled with danger, "Took you long enough. I've been waiting for months."

"Master! I'm sorry," Lionel gasped, "I had to escape to find a bigger mirror. I managed to escape and survive...with the help from the prince...I'm on his ship. He's on the island to get her…"

The man's eyebrows released their tension and flew to the top of his head. "Are you now?" A low chuckle rumbled from his throat, "Well...that is interesting. Is he alone?"

"No," Lionel replied, "He has a friend...a swordsman with green hair."

The man's eyes lit up like a lightning strike. "Could it be? Pirate Hunter Zoro is there with him? That must mean…" HIs chuckle escalated until it became a full bellied laugh. "Oh this is perfect! That must mean our former commander friend is there. Maybe even all of the Straw Hats are coming. Oh, I do love a good battle. It brings me so much...pleasure."

His last word sent chills down Lionel's spine and he was glad he was not the subject of his master's attention. "Master...are you ready?"

"Yes, but the question is, are you?"

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, more faces showed up in the mirror behind his masters. There was a whole army of them. Lionel's eyes widened, "Master...I thought I would only be sending you!"

"Fool!" His master thundered back, "If the Straw Hats are there, you think I'd show up on my own? Now send us over. That is an order!"

"But Master…" Tears were starting to stream down Lionel's face, "I don't have the strength to…"

"I believe in you," his master replied, this time his voice had turned soothing, "And I will make sure your last moments are...quite pleasurable."

Lionel whimpered and raised a shaky hand towards the mirror. He placed his palm onto the glass. "Reflect Reflect," he sobbed, "God's Door."

A bright light beamed out from the mirror and a leg stepped out and onto the desk, crunching Lionel's hand below his foot.

"Ahhhhh," Lionel howled in pain.

The leg was followed by a torso, shoulders, the other leg, and soon the man in the reflection appeared and he hopped off of the top of the vanity onto the floor below. His black, silk robe fluttering under him as he landed. He was a very tall, slim man with bony limbs and fingers. His sharp cheekbones resembled the rest of his stature - sharp, angled, and sleek.

Another leg came out from the mirror, then another, and another. These men were armed to the teeth and wore heavy plated armor around their bodies and black leather masks that covered their heads. When there were about five men in the room, the first man pointed his bony finger at the door. "Break that down. We need more room for the others."

One of the burly men smashed through the door as if it was nothing and they started to exit the room, while more men from the mirror came out and followed behind them.

When the light finally retracted from the mirror and the last man stepped out, the entire deck of Prince Ellis' ship was filled with people. The silk robed man, who was still in the room, came over to Lionel, who was down to his last breath.

"Ma…..ster…" Lionel whispered as a single tear ran down his face.

His master placed a hand on Lionel's head. "There, there," he soothed, "It's all over now."

His hand started to glow a bright pink and a small smile curled on Lionel's lips. Lionel's eyes closed and he exhaled. The man lifted his hand off of Lionel and turned to the men, who all bowed down to him. They left Ellis' room in tatters and with the smiling corpse of Lionel, still draped over the vanity.

"Now..." Lionel's master said as he looked over to a man closest to him, who had a beak shaped nose and parted blonde bangs that covered his eyes.

The man nodded and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Wing Wing...Garden Bloom."

Small white wings sprang from the backs of the men and they started to flutter. The men began to levitate off the ground.

"...Find me my sister," the man finished as his men started to fly off in different directions of the island.


	62. Confessions of a Surgeon of Death

Rei could hear the baby crying long before they approached Marita's tree. The baby had a healthy set of lungs. She'd give him that but it did not bode well for someone who was supposed to avoid detection. When they reached the door of the treehouse, Rei had to pound the door in order to be heard over the baby.

"Marita," Rei called out, "It's me. Open the door."

Law frowned as he inspected the house. It was smaller than the hut he had been staying at. A small part of him worried that this environment was not conducive to a baby's growth.  _Am I being a doctor or am I turning into Cora-san?_

"Marita," Rei repeated, "Open the door! It's Rei!"

Dragging sounds of a heavy object came through and then the door slowly pulled inward to reveal soft, amber eyes. They widened at the sight of Rei and instantly, the door swung wide open to reveal a beautiful girl with long, ash brown hair that curled a little at the ends. She wore a loose white dress that flowed just above her feet and had some wear and tear along the hem. Her skin was porcelain smooth and just as white.

The girl's eyes welled up with tears. She sobbed as she flung her arms around Rei. "It's you! You've come back for me," she gasped into the crook of Rei's neck.

Law almost choked back a laugh. The look on Rei's face was priceless. It was a look of panic. Beads of sweat were forming along her forehead and she looked like someone had just told her she needed to perform an intense surgical procedure right here on the spot. Her back had straightened and she was a stiff as a board.

"..There...there...Marita?" Rei's attempt at comforting was so strained that it caused Law to snort out his laugh.

He had never seen Rei-ya so out of her element. To be honest, he'd probably never seen anyone as out of their comfort zone as Rei-ya right now.

"I thought I'd never see any of you again. I thought I'd die alone!" Marita continued to cry. This time her cries matching the volume of her own baby's.

Duty took over and Law brushed past the hugging girls to enter the room. It was very dark inside. All the windows were shut and an open jar laid on the table, indicating that someone had released the fireflies as to dim the room. The sunlight peaked through the little gaps between the twigs that made up the wall of the hut so Law could still see the baby, who laid screaming on a bed that could only comfortably fit one. He immediately went over and picked up the baby to examine it. From Law's estimate in terms of size and weight, this infant was over a year old. He pressed his ear to the infant's chest and listened to its heart and lungs.

"What are you doing?" Marita gasped as she released her hold on Rei and turned towards Law. Rei quickly grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Don't worry, Marita," she said assuredly, "Law is a doctor. He's just making sure your baby is okay."

Marita narrowed her eyes and she looked at Rei. "Say it again," she commanded.

"Marita, I'm telling the truth. You don't need to-"

"Say it again," Marita repeated, this time more forcefully.

Rei sighed and then nodded. "Law is a doctor. He's just making sure your baby is okay."

This time, her words seemed to appease Marita and her concern vanished from her face. She glanced over at Law and bit her lip. "He cries all the time and I can't figure out why. I feed him, I clothe him, and he gets enough sleep..."

Law brought the baby out so that he could see it better in the light. "He seems physically fine…"

"If he continues crying like this, he's going to attract unwanted attention," Rei warned Marita.

Marita folded her arms and glared at Rei. Her royal upbringing took over and she lifted her chin up haughtily. Even though she was a few inches shorter than Rei, she gave off a superior presence. "Don't tell me how to raise my son, Cogan Reia."

Her use of Rei's full name struck a nerve in Rei and her eyes darkened. Law could see her jawline tighten but she didn't say anything back. She just nodded and then turned her attention back to the toddler. His hair was a shining blonde.  _Like Ellis,_  Rei thought to herself.

Suddenly, Baba walked forward and took the toddler out of Law's hands. Just like that, the baby stopped crying and started to suck on its thumb. It let out a little coo and opened up its drenched eyes to reveal eyes that matched his mother's.

"Silly," Baba sang gently as she rocked the baby back and forth, "Adults can be so silly, can't they?"

"How did you do that?" Marita asked as she rushed over to look at her happy son, who gurgled with happiness at the sight of his mother.

Within a few seconds, though, the baby's eyes shut and his face contorted in pain. His wails began again.

"Oh no!" Marita gasped and Baba immediately walked away from the mother. The baby's cries died down as soon as Baba was a few feet away.

"It seems your baby doesn't like you," Rei pointed out. Marita turned around and glared at Rei, who only shrugged. "Just an observation, Marita."

"That's impossible!" Marita cried with a stamp of her foot, "I am his mother!"

Rei strolled forward, past Marita and an amused Law, towards Baba. She peered over at the baby, who looked up at Rei with curious eyes. Rei tilted her head to the side to examine the baby and the baby did the same. Rei's eyebrow rose and she moved her head to the other side and the baby followed suit. Rei's eyes narrowed and then so did the baby's. "Is this what babies do?" she mumbled.

"Hehehe," Baba laughed, which made the baby chuckle too, "All babies are sensitive to their surroundings but it seems this one is especially attune. If you're happy, he's happy. If you're calm, he's calm."

She then shot a pointed look at Marita, "And if you're sad...he's sad."

Law folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the outer wall of the hut. "Babies do sense when their mothers are stressed...but to be able to sense emotion in others? How odd." He sighed and then looked at Rei. "Well, it seems the mother and child are fine. Can we go now?"

Rei shook her head and looked at Marita, who was biting her lip to keep herself from bawling. She was making her own child sad! What kind of mother is she?!

"Marita," Rei said but the former princess did not respond. "Marita!" Rei said it more firmly the second time but the girl still did not react. Rei sighed and did the only reasonable thing she could think of.

_Thwack!_

Marita gasped and clutched her reddened cheek. "What was that for?!" she demanded.

"Get a grip," Rei said solemnly, "Your lives are in danger. I need you to focus."

Marita narrowed her eyes at Rei and opened her mouth to speak but Rei got to it first. "There's no need for you to detect me. You know I never lie."

"Detect?" Law asked.

Rei made a little nod in Marita's direction. "She's a Devil's Fruit user, the Truth Truth fruit. She can tell when someone is telling a truth or a lie if she looks at them while they're speaking."

"I can't be too careful," Marita said. She raised her hands to form a little window with her finger and directed it at Law, "Truth Truth...Truth Bubble!"

A glossy, translucent bubble started to form out of her fingers and it stretched out into a giant circle. It floated towards Law and encapsulated him. Once he was fully in the center, it disappeared with a pop.

"Oy! What did you do?!" Law demanded.

"Now you're forced to tell the truth. The only thing you can say is the truth," Marita stated.

Law was extremely displeased. A vein pulsed along his forehead. "For how long?!"

"Until I say so," Marita replied.

"Or if you knock her out," Rei added, which caused Marita to shoot Rei an annoyed look. Rei blinked back at her, "What? It's true."

Law huffed with annoyance, "What a waste of your power. I have nothing to lie about."

A contemplative look came over Rei's face and she tapped her finger to her chin. "Are you sure about that?"

The vein in Law's temple twitched and he looked at Rei like he was about to strangle her. "Oy, what are you accusing me of, Rei-ya?"

"I've been wondering...Why did you follow me? It can't just be because the hygienic conditions of Bartolomeo's ship," Rei asked.

"I was concerned about you and thought you might need help...Shit!"

The words flew out of Law's mouth before he could even stop himself and he quickly averted his eyes from Rei's. His face turned beet red. "Don't over analyze it, Rei-ya. You're a friend. That's all!"

Rei's back straightened again and she blinked at Law. "A friend?"

 _If looks could kill..._ Baba thought with a smile as she bounced the baby in her arms and watched the exchange between Rei and Law.

"Yes, a friend!" Law snapped, "You and Straw Hat-ya were a big help to me and I thought maybe I could return the favor but I didn't want to say anything because I'm the Surgeon of Death and have a reputation to uphold. CRAPPPPP!"

Law clamped his mouth shut and glowered at Rei. He would say no more. If he remained silent, he could at least avoid blurting out anything.

Rei, to her credit, kept a blank expression on her face. She knew that Law was uncomfortable but she wasn't too clear on the reason. Either way, as his newly appointed friend, she decided the right thing to do was just to leave him be.

"So you're not her man?" Baba asked and Rei almost jumped out of her skin. She looked guiltily at the old woman, who only chuckled back at Rei, "Don't worry. I had a feeling...There was just the way you two walked next to each other...It didn't seem right."

She gave a little wink to Rei and then pointed her finger at Rei's chest. "You were too comfortable around him. He's not the cause of whatever is going in there."

Rei instinctively clasped her hand over her chest, as if that would stop Baba from looking into it. "Baba, if Bridia finds out-"

"Ah, don't worry about that," Baba waved her off, "We should be focusing on this girl and her babe. No?"

Rei nodded and turned her attention back to Marita. "I need to know if a man named Lionel ever came here to deliver supplies to you…"

Marita shook her head. "They usually just leave things outside the door and I go get it in the morning. I never see who comes. Do you think father knows I'm here? Is my baby in danger?"

Rei put her hands on Marita's shoulders to calm her. "I don't know," Rei admitted, "But it's best if we leave then. Ellis called me and told me you two were in danger. I need to move you again. I don't want to risk anyone finding you."

Marita's eyes widened. "Ellis...Ellis sent you?"

Rei nodded, "Yes. He sent me a message and I came here."

"On his behalf," Marita said softly.

Suddenly, she grabbed Rei's hands and threw them off of her shoulders. She flashed her eyes angrily up at the red hair. "Then I'm not going."

Rei was rendered speechless. The change in Marita's attitude caught her off guard and she wasn't sure she understood what was happening.

"Marita…" she started to persuade her but Marita put an end to it but grabbing the baby from Baba's arms and marching back into the hut.

"No, if Ellis wants to keep me safe, then he needs to come here himself!" she said with a stamp of her foot, followed by a loud slam of the door. The baby's cries resumed, leaving Rei, Law, Boulder, and Baba exactly where they started.

"I can see why she's angry. Can't you?" Law asked rhetorically.

"Not helping, Law…" Rei sighed.

Law shrugged. "Sorry, can't help it. Truth Bubble…" he said even though he didn't look sorry in the slightest.

* * *

Zoro looked down Death's Gorge and then back at Bridia. "Are you trying to kill us?" he barked.

Bridia shared an amused look with Spur. "Only one way to find out," she answered with her hands on her hips in a triumphant stance.

"And this is the only way to Rei?" Ellis asked, peeking over Zoro's shoulder to see for himself.

"Yep. Baba always gives that runt whatever she wants," Bridia sniffed, "There's no way they would just wait patiently in the village for us."

Ellis took a deep breath. "Okay," he said and then started to take off his ruffled shirt.

"What are you doing?" Zoro asked in disgust.

"We're going to get wet," Ellis explained as he folded his shirt neatly and then draped it over a branch, "I'm preparing myself."

"You can't actually be considering jumping!" Zoro shouted and pointed down towards the stream, "Do you not see how far it is down there? You couldn't possibly survive that."

"Have more faith in me, Zoro," Ellis said and flashed him a winning smile, "I'm stronger than I look."

Zoro blinked back at the prince. It wasn't that he didn't have much faith in Ellis. The prince, in Zoro's opinion, had too much faith in the people who were leading them. "How can you be sure that there's not a trap waiting for us?" he hissed at the prince.

Ellis shrugged, "If there is, there is. I'm willing to try anything as long as it can get me to Marita and my son."

Zoro was taken aback. For a second, Ellis exuded a manliness and confidence that he had yet to see in the boy. He scowled and took his arms out of his sleeves. He tied them across his waist, securing his swords in the process. He wasn't going to be outdone by the prince.

Bridia was mesmerized by Zoro's body. He was the most muscular man she had ever seen and the scars on his front...Those were something to behold.  _He has been through many battles,_ she thought putting her hand to her chin,  _This one was bred to fight._

"Oy, lady," Zoro snapped, awakening Bridia from her thoughts, "What are you looking at?"

Bridia bared her teeth. "I haven't given up yet…"

Zoro raised an eyebrow, "Huh? On what?"

"Making you my man," Bridia said, "And my name is Bridia. You may call me Lady Bridia."

"Listen, Lady Bird, I-"

"Bridia!"

"Whatever," Zoro scoffed as he tied his bandana around his head, "I told you before and I'll say this again. There is no way in hell I'll ever be your man. I'm not that kinda guy."

"Good," Bridia said with a satisfied nod, "I like it when men fight back. Makes it that much more fun when I bend their will."

Zoro looked over to Spur for assistance, who was in the middle of tying a large rock to his back with a vine, but all the man could do was shrug and shake his head as if to say " _That's just what she does"._

"Alright," Spur said instead as he made his way forward, "I'll go first and then you two follow. Bridia will bring up the back-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Bridia rushed past all the men and did an elegant dive down into the water. "Goddamn it, Bridia. Stop showing off!"

Spur rolled his eyes and looked at Zoro, "Alright. I guess you go next. Just follow Bridia when you get to the bottom of the stream."

Zoro clenched his fists and then relaxed them.  _Okay, here goes,_  he thought.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" With a manly yell that would make Tarzan proud, Zoro cannonballed off of the branch and into the water.

He didn't expect it to be so cold and his lungs contracted underwater. It caused him to choke a little on saltwater and instinctively breathe in through his nose as the stream carried him below the trees.  _Crap,_  he thought with a panic as he grabbed at his throat while more air bubbles escaped from his mouth,  _I'm going to drown._

Suddenly, lips were pressed up against his and air was blown back into his lungs. His eye popped open and he tried to pull back but Bridia kept his head firmly in place. She glared into his eye as if to say,  _Do you want to live or not?_

When they resurfaced, Bridia released her hold and Zoro gasped for air. He frantically swam back in order to create some distance from Bridia and scrambled to shore. "What was that for?" he demanded as he wiped his mouth with the back of his wet hand.

Bridia, who was casually treading water in the middle of the lake, grinned at him mischievously, "I helped you breathe, of course. Why? What did you think that was for?"

Zoro stomped off into the trees and away from the lake, not even bothering to see if Ellis and the other guy had made it, and not even bothering with directions.  _Crazy woman,_ he thought to himself,  _Actually, all women are crazy! I just want to grab the Know It All, get out of here, and get back to Luffy and them, where the crazy is actually entertaining._

"Oy! Know It All!" he shouted up into the tree, "Get the hell over here!"

He waited for a good ten seconds for a response, but of course, he received none.

"Three Sword Style," he growled and placed his Shusui between his teeth, "Tatsu Maki!"

He swung his swords in a circular fashion in front of him, causing a tornado effect in the air. It parted the trees ahead of Zoro and they all came crashing down to form a makeshift path for the swordsman.

"Oy! Know It All!" He called again as he walked across the fallen trunks of the trees, "I said I'm ready to go!"

Back at the lake, Ellis and Spur were incredulous. "What do you mean he's gone?!" Ellis demanded as he wrung the bottoms of his pants to get some of the water out, "You just let him leave?"

Bridia shrugged as she sat lazily on a rock, "I tried calling after him but he just stormed off. Not my problem."

"That's the fourth guy you've driven away," Spur pointed out and held up four fingers for emphasis.

Bridia jumped onto her feet and glowered at him from her rock, "He never agreed to it yet so technically it's only been three!" She sighed and fell backward into the water with her arms outstretched. "Men are stupid. Don't they know how good they have it with me?" she asked as she swam backstroke across the lake and to the shore.

"Yah," Spur scoffed as he jumped from tree root to tree root, "They're the problem…"

"What was that?" Bridia snapped.

"Nothing," Spur called back.


	63. A Dream and a Nightmare

Zoro was thoroughly perplexed. He was being swarmed by a group of men with wings on their back. They looked like they came from Skypiea but they didn't have the two bulbs on their heads. In fact, their heads were covered in leather. They all wore heavy plated armor and leather combat boots. "Oy, answer me. Are you guys from the sky island or did that Lady Bird send you?" he barked at them as they whizzed around him.

Zoro spun around just in time to block a spear from going through his back. He glared at his attacker before pulling out his second sword to block a curved sword coming from the other side of him. "That's fine," Zoro sneered, "I wasn't in the talking mood anyways."

He pushed back his two attackers and used that moment to fit his third sword into his mouth. Zoro guessed there were about twenty or so men around him with a couple of others in the distance. He had a feeling that wasn't the entire group.  _I need to make this quick or it's going to get messy,_  he thought as he brought down two of them.

He ducked down to avoid a stream of darts heading his way. He looked up to see a man, fluttering in the distance, with a blowgun to his lips.

"Three-sword style," Zoro snarled and ran forward towards the man, dodging the barrage of attacks coming from all around him as he did so, "Karasuma Gari."

Instantly, the men around him cried out in pain as they fell down to the ground. Their wings were cut off and there were deep slashes along their chest. Still, Zoro didn't stop as he headed for the man with the blowgun.

"Three-sword style…" Zoro leapt into the air and crossed his swords in front of his face. "Onigiri!"

Zoro landed on the ground at the same time as the man, who was now unconscious. His metal armor fell into halves on the floor as his blowgun split into two as well. Zoro strolled past the body casually and sheathed his sword. "Ah, is there no one here who would give me a good fight?"

"So a fight is what you seek? Is that what gives you the most...pleasure?"

Zoro stopped in his tracks and looked up at the voice. It was a man, who was perched with his knees crossed on a branch. "Who are you?" Zoro demanded.  _And how did I not sense you with my Haki?_

The man kicked off from the branch and somersaulted twice in the air before landing daintily on his feet in front of Zoro. Without warning, he put his hand on Zoro's face. "Id Id," he said smoothly, "Pleasure Trance."

His hand glowed with a pinkish hue and it covered Zoro's head.

"Wha-" Zoro started to say as the glow transformed into a puff of smoke. It went up to his nose and into his eye. His head became foggy and he felt like he was being wrapped in a warm blanket. His eye closed and his world turned dark.

* * *

"More sake, Zoro?"

Zoro blinked as his senses slowly returned to him. He was lying down on a tatami mat with his back propped up by some pillows. He was in a large room with the shoji doors opened on one side to reveal a beautiful garden with a small pond, bonsai trees, and stone lanterns. The sun shined into the room and it warmed his skin. He looked up to see the Know It All kneeling over him. He sat up a little straighter to take a better look at her. She was wearing a white kimono with green trimmings along her sleeves and collar. Her red hair was pulled back and loosely pinned up with a delicate white flower above her right ear.

Zoro's hand twitched and he realized he was holding a porcelain sake cup. He lifted his empty cup towards the Know It All as she giggled and poured the most fragrant sake Zoro had ever smelled. The bottle she was holding was the size of Chopper, maybe even larger. Zoro grinned at her and downed the whole cup. He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and held out his cup again. "Another!"

Rei smiled back but instead of pouring the bottle, she set it down and picked up his Wado Ichimonji instead. She held it out in front of him with it balanced between her two hands. "Wouldn't it taste that much better after a fight?"

"Ah," Zoro said with a raised eyebrow, "And I assume you're the one to fight me?"

Rei shook her head. "Of course not. I am no match for the greatest swordsman in the world."

Zoro reached out and hooked her waist with one of his arms while the other took the sword in her hand. He drew her closer to him and she blushed slightly at his actions. Her hands were pressed up against his chest and he liked the way that felt. "And who," he murmured into her ear, catching the scent of seawater and cherry blossoms in her hair, "Should I be fighting then?"

"Who better else than me?"

Zoro lifted his head and saw Dracule Mihawk standing in the garden. His golden eyes glinted at Zoro from under the brim of his black hat. "I'm ready for my rematch, Roronoa Zoro."

"Huh?" Zoro tilted his head to the side, "Rematch?"

"Yes, you defeated him and became the greatest swordsman in the world," Rei whispered lovingly before standing up and leaving his embrace. She bowed respectfully to Mihawk and then gave a soft smile to Zoro, "I'll leave you two to it then and return when you're ready to relax. I'll have the slave make us more onigiri."

"Slave?" Zoro asked.

"'The Curly Brow," Rei answered before sliding open another set of shoji doors and closing it behind her.

"So," Mihawk said as he pointed the Black Sword Yoru at Zoro, "Shall we begin?"

Zoro helped himself to a long swig from the bottle that the Know It All left behind before getting up to his feet and pulling out all three of his swords. "Ah," he grunted, "Let's go."

As he stood up, the world became dark and the room he was standing in disappeared completely. "What the-"

* * *

Zoro's eye snapped open with a splitting headache threatening to tear his head apart. He was lying face down on a tree root. His hands were tied up behind his back and his mouth was gagged by vines. He lifted his chin so he could see better. He clenched his fists and tried to pull at his restraints. "Mmmmmmmffffff!" His angry cry muffled by the vines in his mouth.

"Don't you just hate it when you wake up from a very nice dream?" a voice asked. Suddenly, a heavy foot came crashing into the small of his back. Zoro choked against the vines, "Don't you wish sometimes you just never wake up?"

The foot lifted from Zoro and the man came into Zoro's range of sight. He glared up at the man and his eyes widened as he realized that the man was holding all three of his swords.

"I just need to know where my sister is," the man said politely, "That's all."

"Mmmmmf?"

"Oh yes, silly me," the man said and bent down over Zoro. He untied the vines around his mouth and then stood back up, "You were saying?"

"Who?!" Zoro demanded.

"Oh," the man feigned surprise and covered his hand to his chest, "I guess I hadn't properly introduced myself. I am Bayard of Uslua, son of King Godet, and the soon-to-be ruler of Beffi Island." He looked expectantly at Zoro and then frowned at the swordsman's lack of reaction. He kicked Zoro in the face, flipping him over so that he laid on his back.

"Besides Beffi, I have no idea what you just said and they already have a king," Zoro barked back and thrashed against his binds, "Now let me go!"

"Tsk, tsk," Bayard tutted as he raised one of Zoro's swords over the edge of the tree root. It was the Sandai Kitetsu. "Tell me or I drop this sword."

Zoro froze. "You wouldn't…" he growled.

Bayard opened his hand and the sword fell right into the quicksand below.

_Plop!_

"Whoops," he teased, "Slippery…" He then reached over and took out the Shusui. He held it out over the tree root. "Now let's try this again."

Zoro leapt to his feet but it was bound so he instantly crashed back down, face first. "I told you, I don't know!" Zoro yelled, "Now give me back my swords!"

"Strike two," Bayard said with a click of his tongue.

_Plop!_

"I'm going to kill you!" Zoro seethed as he inched his way towards Bayard like a worm. He then stopped immediately when he saw Kuina's sword dangling in the air.

"Tell me what I want to know."

"I swear to god, I don't know where she is," Zoro hissed through clenched teeth, "I am telling the truth!"

"You know what's funny?" Bayard flashed Zoro an impish smile, "I believe you. I honestly do."

He lowered the sword and Zoro let out a sigh of relief.

"...But that just means you're useless and I have no need for you anymore," Bayard sighed and then flung the sword into the quicksand.

_Plop!_

"You bastard!" Without hesitation, Zoro rolled himself sideways towards the end of the tree root, pass Bayard, and straight into the quicksand with his hands and feet still bound. He sank into the quicksand after his precious swords.

"Hmmph," Bayard sniffed as he saw the green hair disappear below the thick mud, "Well, that was a waste of time and effort." He walked forward towards another tree, "Maybe I'd have more luck with the next one."

* * *

Rei slammed her eyes shut and then opened them again. She must be dreaming or hallucinating. "E...Ellis?" she whispered as she watched the prince climb up a branch and make his way towards her along with Boulder and Bridia.

"Rei-Rei," he called, waving his hands in the air, "I'm so glad I found you!"

"What are you doing here?!" Rei demanded, "It's not safe! King Godet-"

"Ah to hell with him!" Ellis shouted back as he ran at her with his arms outstretched. He enveloped her in a tight hug, "I'm here to take back my family. Ah! It's so good to see you again!"

Rei's arms were stiff at her side but her eyes shined with relief, "I thought it would take years before I saw you again."

"Yeah, well, it might be years before we see Zoro, I'll tell you that," Ellis said as he put his hands to his hips and looked outward to the island, "As you probably guessed, he wandered off so he's lost out there...somewhere."

Rei turned her head to the side and shut her eyes again. Now she really must be dreaming. "Zoro...is...here..." she said it slowly as if unable to believe her own words.

"I told you he came after you, Rei-ya," Law said with a frown as he walked over to Ellis. "I assume you're the prince or whatever." He pointed at Marita's hut behind him, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go get them."

Ellis looked past Law's finger and his face turned slightly pale. His hand instinctively went to his hair and he smoothed it down. "How..how do I look?" he asked Law.

"Like you're late," Law quipped.

"Right…" Ellis gulped. He took a deep breath and marched towards the door. He knocked three times.

"Marita…It's me," Ellis said.

Then, everything seemed to happen at once. Rei was tackled to the ground by Bridia, while the door to Marita's hut swung open and a chair came crashing down on Ellis' head. The air was pierced by the sound of the baby's crying.

Rei kicked off the ground agilely with her toes and flipped herself over Bridia. She pinned the girl down by her wrist. "Calm down," Rei ordered.

"You lied!" Bridia hissed back at Rei, "You do know them!"

"But I didn't send them," Rei said, "I didn't know they were here."

"They are here because of you!"

"Technically," Rei pointed out, "You actually brought them here."

Bridia inhaled sharply. The redhead had a point. Bridia's face turned red with frustration and she struggled against Rei's hold. "Let me up!" she demanded.

"Marita," Ellis groaned as he rubbed his head, "What was that for?"

"TWO YEARS!" Marita thundered as she marched out of her hut, jabbing her finger in Ellis chest, "I was all alone here for TWO YEARS!"

"I know," Ellis said weakly, "But I'm here now and-"

"Where were you when I needed you?! Where were you when I needed to leave my entire life behind? Where were you when our SON was born?!"

Ellis flinched, "I didn't know we had a son until Rei-"

"You let  _her,_ " Marita turned her finger at Rei but kept her eyes and anger on the prince, "Do all the dirty work for you.  _She_  was the one who figured out my father's ploy.  _She_  was the one who found a way to get me safely out of the island. It was all her! Did you know that she almost got beaten to death for me?! I can barely look her in the eyes because I'm so ashamed of how much I owe her! How much  _WE_  owe her."

Rei tilted her head to the side. "What?"

"Is that why you acted so distant towards her?" Ellis asked, "I thought it was because she tried to kiss me."

"I did WHAT?! Ooof!" Rei was so shocked that she released Bridia without thinking and the girl quickly tossed Rei aside to get back on her feet.

"I'm a Truth Truth Fruit user," Marita snapped back at Ellis, "I can tell when someone is lying to me! Rei has always been honest with me. If she had felt anything towards you, I would know."

"Wait...Excuse me...but...about that kiss..?" Rei asked but then Law looked at her and shook his head. Now was not the time.

Another burst of tears from the baby captured the adults' attention. Ellis started to make his way into the hut but then stopped himself mid-step. He looked at Marita for permission. "May I…?"

Marita took a deep breath, her eyes started to well up with tears, and she nodded. She stepped out of the way for Ellis to rush in and reunite with his baby. "His name is Rei…" she said quietly.

"WHAT?!" Law, Bridia, Spur, and Rei cried out at the same time and then looked at each other in surprise.

"Hehehehe," Baba chuckled as she sat on a low hanging branch. She kicked her feet in delight, "I guess we forgot to ask about the baby's name when we got here."

"Well, well...This is quite a reunion…"

Rei gasped and turned towards the voice. Marita's face turned pale as she backed into her hut. "No...it can't be…"

Bayard stepped forward from behind a tree, with fifty of his men behind him. "Oh, but it can, dear sister. It can be…"

Rei narrowed her eyes. She recognized this man from her investigation a long, long time ago. "Prince Bayard…"

"Master! Call me Master!" Bayard snapped, finally losing his cool composure. He took a calming breath and smoothed his hair back. He pressed his fingers in front of his lips and then smiled fiendishly back at Rei, "I prefer to be called Master if you don't mind...Prince just doesn't sound as good as Master."

Rei scoffed, "Or is it because everyone else in your family can be called a king except you?'

"Gah!" Bayard's entire body contracted. If words were weapons, Rei had shot an arrow straight through to his heart.

 _Wow, even Rei-ya could see through you..._ Law thought as he exchanged looks with Rei. Her eyes were serious and alert, which made him stand up straighter and held his nodachi a little closer to him. Her guard was up higher than when she was around Caesar. Whoever this Bayard person was, Rei was not taking him lightly.

"Tsk, tsk," Bayard clucked at Rei, "You should really watch your mouth. You can cause much displeasure to those around you and that is not good."

"Pleasure…" Rei murmured, "That's your thing, isn't it? The Id Id Fruit?"

"Ah, former Commander Rei," Bayard laughed, "I'm so pleased! You did your homework! I must say, if I had somebody like you around me, I would be much more informed. I probably would've known you were a woman instead of finding out just now."

His eyes flashed and he pressed a finger into his chin. "Hmmm, I just had a thought..."

"Enough!"

Ellis emerged from the doorway with his son cradled in his arms. The baby was sleeping soundly with his head resting on his father's shoulders. Marita stifled a sob at the image. Ellis wordlessly handed the toddler to Marita and then drew his sword.

"This ends now," Ellis seethed as his sword turned black.

"No! Ellis! Wait!" Rei warned but it was too late.

Ellis bounded forward with his sword while Bayard raised his hand. "Id Id," he said in a lazy tone, "Pleasure Dome."

A pink dome emerged with Bayard as the center. It expanded around him and engulfed Ellis. Immediately, Ellis' sword instantly turned back into a normal blade. "What?" he gasped before he was backhanded by Bayard's bony hands.

"Ugh," Ellis winced as blood dripped from his lips. Before he could do anything else, Bayard's hands were on Ellis' face, "Id Id...Pleasure Trance."

Ellis crumpled to the floor. He closed his eyes and then a happy moan escaped his lips.

"He can control the subconscious," Rei shouted to Law, "Our Haki's are linked to it so he can shut it off if you're not careful!"

"Room!" Law called as he created his sphere that surpassed Bayard's dome.

Bayard clapped his hands in delight. "Oh, wonderful! Trafalgar Law! Such a pleasant surprise."

_Splash!_

Law's room instantly vanished as Law looked down at his body in horror. He was covered head to toe in sea water. He looked up to see two men with wings on their backs and an empty bucket dangling from their hands.

"What the-"

"Id Id, Pleasure Beam!"

Bayard pointed his bony fingers at Law and a beam of pink light shot through Law's body. For a split second, Law felt his body go numb and tingly and it caused him to stumble backward.

"Law!" Rei dashed towards her friend in a red blur, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward so that he didn't fall off the tree. His wet clothes dripped over hers.

"Oh...You're fast too," Bayard cried joyously at Rei.

Kio poked her head out of Law's pocket.

"Kio," Rei said under her breath, "Run!"

"What?" Kio cried and then with a flick of her wrist, Rei sent Kio hurtling through the trees and away from the battle. She turned her attention to Law, who was still quite out of it.

"Law! Wake up!" she shouted, shaking the man by the shoulders. His eyes refocused and he blinked back at Rei. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and he quickly leapt to his feet to block an oncoming axe from one of Bayard's men with his own nodachi.

_Shing!_

A knife went flying past Bayard's face, cutting him right on his cheekbone, just as vines wrapped around his body. Bridia snarled and ran towards him with her claws out, while Spur pulled back on the vines he was holding.

"Tsk, tsk. A wildcat like you should be purring and not clawing," Bayard sighed. As she went to slash at him with her sharp nails, he vanished in a pink puff of smoke.

"Whoah!" Spur fell off of the tree as the vines loosened and he dangled off of one of the branches with one hand.

"What the-?" Bridia spun around to see Bayard step from behind a tree branch right next to the hut.

"Illusions," Bayard purred as he walked up to his trembling sister, "They play around with our minds in the most intriguing ways, don't you think?"

Boulder started to charge towards Bayard but Rei quickly threw her hands out to stop him. "No! Stay there and protect Baba!"

Bayard sneered and then turned his attention back to Marita. He lifted her chin so that she could gaze into his storming eyes. "Now little sister, don't you think it's time I got what rightfully belongs to me?'

"You mean this?" Rei asked coldly from behind.

Bayard turned around just in time for her fist, wrapped in her Sea Prism Stone Chains, to plant squarely in his face. "Gahhhhhh. You bitch," he screamed as his head jerked back and blood squirted out of his nose but then he started to laugh deep in his throat, "You're a feisty one."

Rei retracted her fist and was just about to gear up for another punch when Bayard said something that made her heart stop cold. "I wonder how feisty you'll be when you find out that your green haired friend is dead?"

It made Rei stop for a second and that was all the time Bayard needed. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her high up into the air. His bony fingers putting pressure on her larynx. She gasped but no sound came out.

"That's right," he cooed as she grabbed his wrist with her hands, "Your crewmate...Pirate Hunter Zoro...I dropped his swords into the quicksand..."

Rei's eyes widened and Bayard slowly squeezed the air out of her. Her dagger chains fell to the floor at his feet. "...And then he soon followed behind them," Bayard finished.

"No…" Rei wheezed as she flung her foot up over her head, knocking Bayard in the chin and sending herself somersaulting back. She collapsed on the ground and her hands went to her neck as she gasped for breath. "No…You're lying."

"No…" Marita whispered as she looked at Rei with tears in her eyes, "He's telling the truth."

Rei could feel the blood drain from her face and at the same time, a whooshing sound came over her ears.

"Rei-ya?" Law called as he kicked down one of Bayard's men while avoiding another bucketful of seawater, "Rei-ya? What's going on?"

She looked down at her hands and blinked furiously to clear her head.  _This has to be a dream. It has to be. Zoro...is dead? No...It can't be._

A rage in her belly started to swarm around her and she could feel the green energy inside her. Her head snapped up.  _Haki!_ She activated her Observation Haki for as wide as she can.  _If he's here...I can find him,_  she thought furiously. She stretched her Haki as thinly as possible.  _Come on!_

By the time Law got to Rei, she was white as a sheet. He lifted her up to her feet only to have her knees give out and she sank onto the floor. "He's not...here.." she whispered, "I can't feel him."

"What?" Law asked, "Rei-ya! I need you to get it together and fight! We-"

"I CAN'T FEEL HIM!" Rei shouted hysterically. It was then Law saw that there was no light in Rei's eyes as if she was in another world.

"Rei-ya!" he yelled sternly, grabbing her wrists and shaking it furiously, "Get a hold of yourself! I need you to be logical and-"

"I killed him...He came here for me...and...he's dead...I killed him…" Rei gasped. Her eyes fell on Bayard, who was watching all of this with unabashed thrills. The color of her eyes flashed to a bright, electric green.

"Rei-ya!" he called again but she was not reactive. Then, to his horror, her eyes turned blood red, covering the green in her eyes. "Rei-ya?!"

All at once, a force exerted from her that shocked Law to the core and cut him up just as much. Bridia, him, Baba, Ellis, Bayard, and some of Bayard's men stayed their ground but the rest of the people around them were sent flying backward with deep gashes on their bodies. Marita screamed as she turned her body so that her back received the cuts to protect the baby as she fell to her feet. Little Rei cried out angrily as he squirmed on the ground but otherwise unharmed.

"What is this?" Law asked as he looked down at Rei, who was unconscious, "Conqueror's Haki?" He looked around at the cleared area, "But...cuts?"

Suddenly, Rei's sea prism stone chains coiled around him and he sank to his legs. He released his grip on Rei in the process and she fell limply to the ground. Law glowered up at the leather-masked man, who was holding the other end of the chain while standing next to his master. He pulled the chains towards him, dragging the former Warlord further and further away from Rei. "Look what we found," Bayard sang.

"Rei-ya!" Law shouted back at Rei, in hopes that she would come to her senses. Her eyes blinked as a tear fell down across the bridge of her nose and to the floor, "Snap out of it! I know you can hear me."

"Id Id Pleasure Dome," Bayard sang as the pink, translucent shape covered everyone still standing.

 _This is not reality,_  Rei thought before she lost consciousness,  _This must be a nightmare._


	64. Id

Rei was in a cave. At least, that was the only logical explanation. She was sitting cross legged on a cold, damp floor and she was shrouded in darkness.

"No, it's not a cave."

Rei jumped in her seat. It wasn't the the sudden sound that startled her. It was the quality of the sound itself.

The voice was hers.

A figure emerged from the shadows and Rei's eyes widened as her own red hair came into light, followed by her mask, and her black cloak. A beam of light shined down from somewhere high above and Rei saw that the figure was coming out from a giant cage with the door swung wide open.

"Yes, I'm you," the figure said as she walked out. She took off her mask to show Rei her own eyes, nose, and mouth. She placed the mask in between them before sitting directly across from Rei, "...And I'm finally free."

Rei blinked back, unsure of what to make of this. "How can you be me?" Rei asked, " _I'm_  me."

The figure flashed Rei a carefree grin. It was a smile that Rei had never seen on her own face before. "I'm your Id!"

"My what?" Rei asked.

"Your Id!" the other Rei laughed. Her counterpart took off her cloak to reveal a black bikini so thin and tiny that it paled in comparison to anything Nami ever wore. "What are you wearing?!" Rei leapt to her feet and tried to get the cloak back onto her Id, "This is not practical!"

The other Rei pushed Rei with such force that Rei tumbled backwards. "Get your hands off me! I can finally do what I want!"

Rei pushed herself back onto her feet and then looked at the opened cage, "I'm guessing we're here because of Bayard-"

_Thwack!_

Rei winced as the other Rei punched her hard in her stomach. "No!" she demanded, "No logical thinking. This is my turn now. I've waited too long to have my say. You've been avoiding me all your life and now it's finally my time to shine!"

Rei coughed and nodded weakly at the other Rei. "What do you want?"

The other Rei tilted her head to the side and then let out a loud laugh, "Hahaha! Wouldn't you like to know?" She sprang to her feet and started to cartwheel and somersault around Rei. When she got back to her original point, she stopped and planted her hands on her hips, "This could be filled with anything you want, you know? Anything! And guess what? You can't think of anything to fill it up right now. Absolutely nothing!"

The other Rei rested her head on her hands and pretended to fall asleep. "Boooring!"

She then snapped her head back up and then the room started to fill up with bodies, lots and lots of bloodied bodies and detached limbs. Rei looked around in horror as the other Rei laughed maniacally. "I know what you desire! I know what you crave...I'm your aggression, your passion...your pleasure!"

Rei saw that the bodies were all people that she had fought in the past - Doflamingo, Tarantula, bounty hunters, the man who killed her mother…Then, the bodies disappeared and it was filled with sweet cakes, noodles, sandwiches, and every type of food Sanji had served her on the Thousand Sunny. "I'm what you never allowed yourself to desire!" the other Rei cackled.

Rei blinked and then was paralyzed when she saw a topless Zoro walking towards her. His eyes were darkened by passion and he had a smirk on his face that made Rei feel very exposed. She quickly covered her eyes with her hands. "Please, stop! This isn't what I want!"

_Thwack!_

This time, the blow was to the side of Rei's head and it caused Rei to drop her hands. She was relieved to see they were back in darkness again.

"You don't even know what you want!" The other Rei shouted.

"Well. my dream is to know all there is to know about the Devil Fruits," Rei replied.

_Thwack!_

Another punch in the gut and Rei was getting more annoyed than pained. "Now what was that one for?"

"My dream is to know all about the Devil Fruits, blah blah blah," her Id mocked back, "Out of all the dreams out there you picked the most logical one. It's stupid. It's silly. It's not your dream!"

"Yes, it is!" Rei insisted. She lifted her arm to block her Id's next attack but was surprised to see that the Id opened her fist at the last second to grab Rei's arm. Her Id tugged her forcefully to her and then wrapped her arms around Rei.

"Stop fighting me," the Id said, Her voice had turned unexpectedly soft. "Just stop. I'm not here to hurt you."

Rei was surprised to see that instead of tensing up, her body felt more relaxed in her Id's embrace, like if she was being held by her father or someone very familiar to her. Her mind started to race but then the Id put her hand to the back of Rei's head. "Stop."

The Id tilted her head back so she could stare Rei directly in the eyes. "No thinking," she said firmly, "Let me have my say...Just this once."

Rei nodded slowly, finally complying. Her Id released her and then turned Rei around so she could see an enormous locked gate that had appeared right behind her. It was a large, golden gate with a keyhole as big as Rei's head. Rei looked down and saw that her Id was placing a key in her hand. It was way too small for the keyhole but Rei took it anyway.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's everything you've locked away," the other Rei whispered, "It's everything you never admitted you wanted. It's your dream...It's our dream..."

Rei stood for a moment, staring at the key in her hand. She waited for a long time and her Id was gracious enough not to rush her. Finally, when she raised the key to the gate, she realized the keyhole had shrank down and the key could now fit.

"It can't be opened if you didn't want it to," the Id explained.

Rei took a deep breath and turned the key.  _Click._ The gates opened and Rei was blinded by a flood of light and noise. She crossed her arm over her eyes instinctively.

"Oy! Rei!"

Rei lowered her arm at the sound of her captain's voice. She looked up to see Luffy from the top of the Thousand Sunny. He had an impressive red coat draped over his shoulders with golden fringed shoulder pads, gold buttons, and gold threading. His Straw Hat hung from the back of his neck and he had on his head a captain's hat that matched his coat. He flashed his grin at Rei and pumped his fists in the air, "Shi-shi-shi-shi! We did it!"

"Luffy," Rei whispered as she ran aboard the ship and towards her captain. When she reached the lawn deck, a hand caught her shoulder and she turned around to see her uncle, with his black jacket billowing behind him.

"Reia, not bad!" Shanks said as he gave her a thumbs up sign with one hand while taking a swig from a bottle of rum from his other, "I knew you'd be good as part of Luffy's crew but I didn't think you'd go as far as helping him beat me!"

"You have your both your arms?" Rei asked in surprise.

He grinned, ignored his niece's comment, and looked up at his protege, "Now that he's the King of Pirates, he's going to be even harder to manage, you know?"

"Hahahaha, my little girl can handle him!"

Suddenly, Rei was jerked into the bone crushing hug of her father. Jeffrey beamed down at Rei, who immediately inhaled the familiar scent of stale food, seagull, and rum. She had missed this scent so much, more than she realized, and her heart ached. "Hey, dad," she whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm free!" Cogan Jeffrey exclaimed happily, "I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want now."

"Oh stop it! You're hugging her too tightly. She might be tough but she's still our little girl!"

Rei froze at the sound of that familiar, stern voice. She was too scared to look behind her for fear that she had heard wrong. Instead, her father made that decision for her and spun her around so that she was looking directly at her mother.

Cogan Rosa stood with her red hair flowing in the wind and her green eyes flashing brilliantly at her daughter, as King Tannenbay, Queen Adela, Prince Ellis, and Princess Mirabelle stood behind her. Rosa gave a cheeky and confident grin to Rei before walking over to her. She was exactly as Rei had remembered her.

Her mother wrapped her arms gently around Rei and patted her hair, just as she used to as a child. "My darling girl," her mother whispered as she continued to stroke her daughter's hair that matched her's exactly, "It's been so rough on you..."

Rei was as stiff as a board at first, unsure of what to do, but then she raised her shaking hands around her mother. When she touched her mom's shoulders and felt that Rosa was indeed there, she clung furiously to her. "M...M...Mom?" Rei whispered as a tear fell down her face and she buried her head into her mother's grasp, "Mom! I….I….I…."

Rei hiccuped and it turned on the waterworks. Soon her cries turned into sobs. She had never cried this hard and this much before in her life. Years and years of pain and grief poured out of Rei's eyes and Rei wept as her mother cradled her head. There was so much she wanted to tell her mother, so much she wanted to ask, and so much lost time to make up for. "Shhhh," her mother whispered, "It's okay. Everything is okay."

"Oy, Rei-sis! If you're going to keep crying like that, you're going to miss the super awesome party!"

Rei lifted her head from her mother's arms and saw the rest of the crew were sitting around the deck. Usopp, Chopper, and Brook were having a picnic on the deck. Franky was tinkering with a small gadget on his lap, while Robin read a book underneath one of Nami's trees. Sanji was offering a tray full of goodies to everyone, while Nami was sunbathing off to the side in a very scandalous bikini that Sanji kept brazenly leering at.

"Oy! I thought I said I don't like bread, Blackleg-ya!" Law barked from the railing when Sanji presented him with the tray of pastries.

"Everyone…" Rei whispered. She wanted to go to them but she was still unable to let go of her mother. Even Baba, Bridia, Spur, and Boulder appeared on the deck, talking and laughing with Usopp and the others. Rei was surprised to see Bartolomeo, Cavendish, and Rebecca were exchanging pleasantries at the other end of the ship.

"A feast good enough for the King of Pirates!" Luffy demanded as he called across the deck, to someone behind Rei. "Shi-shi-shi-shi, right Zoro?"

"Ah," came the swordsman's lazy reply. Rei stiffened. She turned around and watched the swordsman saunter down from the stairs with his arms resting on his swords. He smirked at Rei as he walked up to her, "Oy, Know It All, you going to cry all day or what?"

Rosa's arms fell to the side and stepped away from her daughter. Rei turned to her in protest but her mother smiled warmly at Rei. "Don't worry, I'll always be here for you. I'll always be close by."

Zoro's hand came under Rei's chin and he gently coaxed her head around so that she was looking back up at him.

"You're dead," was all Rei could manage to get out.

He only gave a smirk back. "Well, I feel pretty good for a corpse."

Shots of cannon fire interrupted Rei's response. "We're here for the King Maker!" someone shouted from a nearby ship.

"We demand to see the King Maker!" another ship shouted.

Rei ran to the side of the deck. When she reached the railing, she was greeted by thunderous cheers. The Thousand Sunny was surrounded by millions of ships and they weren't just marine ships. There were pirate ships, ships of the revolutionaries, and there were even ships of various kingdoms. She reached around her waist to pull out her weapons but Zoro put a hand on top of hers to stop her.

"They're all here to ask for your assistance and consultation," Zoro murmured into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind. There was something comforting about his gesture and Rei found herself not minding his sudden closeness. In fact, she was surprised to find herself enjoying it.

"Me?" Rei breathed.

"They are all here to seek the counsel of the genius tactician...the one who helped Luffy become the King of Pirates. The one who helped conquer the New World...The King Maker…"

Rei, hearing those words, shivered, which confused her because she wasn't cold or afraid.

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed as if reading her mind, "You like that title. That title makes you happy." He then leaned down so that he could whisper even more softly into her ear. "That's your dream."

"But...What about the Devil Fruits?" Rei stammered back, "I thought I wanted to learn all there is about the Devil Fruit?"

"Tch," Zoro replied, "You wanted to know more about Vegapunk and his studies because you wanted to see how a genius could make a difference in the world…"

He then turned her around so that they were once again face to face, "So that  _you_  could make a difference too...in your own way. In the way that you want."

"I don't know what I want," Rei whispered.

Zoro placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her counterclockwise 90 degrees so that she could look around the deck, with all of her nakama, friends, and family, waving back at her. Then he turned her more so she could see the ships around them and then he turned her back so that she was facing him again.

"Yes, you do," he said firmly, "You just don't want to admit it."

Suddenly, Rei could feel the dampness of the floor again and she looked at Zoro with widened eyes. "No," she whispered as she dug her fingers into his hands, "Don't go."

Zoro scoffed and grinned at her. "Oy, Know It All, it's not like you to oversleep."

She looked frantically around her to catch one last look at everyone she ever loved and cared for, all in one place, safe and happy, before they started to fade into the darkness. One by one, the shadows took them. First the people from the Leethe, Cavendish, Bartolomeo, Rebecca, Law, King Tannenbay and his family, the Straw Hats, Luffy, her uncle, her dad, and then her mom. She held tightly to Zoro's hands as she took one last look at him and his overly confident smile. "Please, don't go," she whispered to him.

"Idiot," Zoro growled as the shadow started to crawl up his body, "I always come back for you, don't I?"

"No matter how dark the night gets...," Rei whispered softly to herself when Zoro was just a silhouette, "The sun always comes back…"

Darkness shrouded around her and Rei was back to where she originally started. The other Rei appeared in Zoro's place and Rei sank to her knees. "Take me back. I want to go back," Rei whispered, looking down at the floor.

"Isn't this why you tried to hide from me all this time? Because waking up from dreams can be so painful?" the other Rei asked, "But there's no harm in realizing your dream."

Rei could only nod her head weakly as she tried to remember the warmth of her mother's hug, the security she felt with Zoro, and the love and acceptance from her friends. She squeezed her eyes shut as if that would help her hold onto that dream.

"It doesn't have to be, you know…" a silky voice sang out.

Rei's eyes flew open and saw Bayard, standing behind her Id with his hand on her head. His hand started to glow pink and the world around Rei started to turn pink as well. "In fact," Bayard continued, "It can be quite...pleasurable."

"No, let her go!" Rei cried as the pink turned brighter and brighter. The air turned thick and Rei collapsed flat on the ground. It felt like she was being pushed down from an enormous pressure and she couldn't move, "LET US GO!"

Rei caught the look on Bayard's eyes as it went up and down her Id's body. She didn't understand it but it made her want to vomit and her heart go cold. "Stop it! Get away from her!" Rei shouted.

Suddenly, his lips were on her Id's but he wasn't kissing her the way Zoro did. It was violent and it made Rei flinch and look away. She squeezed her eyes shut and she felt the pressure build up from above her, pinning her to the ground. She did the only thing she could do and it was something she rarely ever did. She screamed.

"What the-?" Bayard cried out. It caught Rei's attention and her head flicked back up to see what had happened.

A green shadowy figure had emerged from behind Bayard and had somehow cut him across the face, forcing away from Rei's Id. He stood right in the light so Rei saw that it had no face. However, the silhouette and the shape was distinctively that of Zoro.

"What is this?!" Bayard demanded at the shadowy figure. His hand flew to his cheek to touch his bleeding wound.

The figure said nothing and then ran towards Rei's Id. He wrapped his shadow around the Id and they merged into one. Her eyes flashed that of bright green and her eyes narrowed at Bayard, who looked at her in surprise. Her Id raised a fist and was about to strike Bayard when he held out his hand and everything around them glowed pink again. Her Id's punch froze mid-air and Bayard smirked at his opponent, while Rei was still pinned helplessly to the floor.

"So you still got some fight in you...but I'm in control now," Bayard sneered, "And I will make you mine."

* * *

"Let her go!" Bridia roared. She was clutching her prison bars so tightly that there were faint claw marks on the metal. Her head could barely fit between two of the bars and she bared her teeth at Bayard, who was standing over a sleeping Rei on his bed. His glowing pink hands covered her forehead and his power glowed brighter than it ever did before.

"What are you doing to her?" Spur demanded, "And what have you done with the others?"

"Shut up!" Bayard seethed through clenched teeth. His brows were furrowed and he was in deep concentration.

Baba, Law, Spur, Bridia, and Boulder were all locked up together. Law received special attention. Rei's chains were bound around him and locked tightly with a metal lock at the front. To their left was another cell, which contained a sleeping old man with only one arm and one leg. Bayard's new captives had all awoken to find themselves behind bars with no signs of Ellis, Marita, the baby, or even Rei.

After what seemed like hours, Bayard had brought Rei in himself. There were dried tear stains along her face, which shocked Bridia. She remembered clearly the time that the Runt had fallen off a tree, hitting almost every branch, and breaking almost every major bone in her limbs. When the Runt hit the tree root, she had landed in silence. Not even a whimper on her lips or a tear in her eyes. She just laid there, looking up directly back at Bridia and said calmly, "Get Baba."

Now the very same person was lying helplessly on the bed and Bridia was livid. Yes, the Runt might be too bold with sharing the secrets of the Leethe to outsiders and yes, Baba does seem to play favorites when it comes to the Runt, but Bridia still thought of her as her own. Bridia's job was to protect everyone in the Leethe and the Runt was no exception. Once a Leethe, always a Leethe.

"What I'm doing is no concern of yours," Bayard grumbled with his eyes still closed, "The only reason why you three are still alive is because I need more toys to play with. I've broken all my other ones...Well, all but one..."

Spur gulped and glanced over at the sleeping old man.

"What about your sister and the others?" Law asked coolly from his seated position

Finally, Bayard opened his eyes and he smiled smoothly at Law. Bayard lifted one of Rei's hands towards his lips and he kissed the back of it, while stroking her wrist. "No...They are our honored guests."

"Guests?"

Bayard turned towards his prisoners, with his hand still holding Rei's, and he looked at them in feigned surprise. "For our wedding, of course!"


	65. Wedding Crashers

_\- Two hours earlier -_

Somewhere, in the heart of Prasa Island, a rabbit-like creature with raccoon eyes scurried across the tree root. It hopped over to another tree and then stopped short. It's ears perked up and it turned towards the gap in between the two trees. It stared at the mud for a moment before it spotted a small air bubble come up to the surface. Then, another air bubble popped up, this one bigger than the last one. Then another, then another. Soon the whole pool of mud seemed to be bubbling like a hot tub.

"BLAAAAAAARGH!" A muddy monster emerged from the center as the muddy quicksand erupted around him like a volcano. The creature gave a loud squeak before rushing off to safety, dodging the falling mud as it rained down in large clumps.

Zoro gasped for air as he held his Wado in his mouth while the other two were in his hands. Even though they were covered in mud, there were still a slight glimmer as the sun caught the exposed parts of the blade. Zoro's chest heaved violently. A second longer down there and he would've been dead. He trudged over and stepped on top of the tree root. He wiped his blades on the side of the mossy tree in an effort to clean them. He sheathed them in their scabbards and put his hands on his hips.

"That bastard," he growled as he looked around him, "I'm going to make him pay tenfold! I'll cut him up and throw each piece of him into the mud."

A last bit of dark, slimy quicksand sailed down from the skies and landed squarely on top of Zoro's head. It oozed down his green hair and past his ears. "Grrrrrr," Zoro seethed.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Zoro heard a voice above him and he looked up just in time to see Kio tumbling from the branches and down on his face.

 _Splat!_ She lay flat on top of Zoro's muddy head.

"Huh?" Zoro asked as he picked her up with his two fingers and examined her, "A Tontatta? Here?"

"AHHHHH MONSTER!" Kio screamed and tried to swing her fist at Zoro but she was too far away and too small to make contact.

"Who are you calling a monster?" Zoro growled as the clump of mud fell off his face.

Kio blinked at him for a minute before her eyes widened in surprise. "Zoroland! You're alive!"

"Huh? Of course I'm alive. Who said I wasn't?!" Zoro scowled.

"That mean man!" Kio exclaimed, "Reiland threw me up into the trees for safety and I heard the mean man tell her that you fell into the quicksand and died. She was so sad and then she exploded!"

"Huh?" Zoro didn't know what the little person was babbling on about. He flung Kio to the side and jumped to a tree root to his left. "I don't have time for this."

"No!" Kio leapt over after Zoro. With as much strength as she could muster, which was a lot. Kio grabbed Zoro by the ankles and flung him back. He hit the tree where he wiped of his swords and the mud slathered his back as he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Oy! What was that for?!" he demanded as he got back up to his feet.

"You  _will_  listen to me!" Kio said with a stamp of her foot, "I don't care how big and scary you are! I am going to be a legendary warrior and I won't let you stop me from saving Reiland and Law!"

That's when it clicked in his head. "Reiland? Law? You mean Rei and Law?! You came here with them from Dressrosa?" he shouted.

Kio grabbed her knitted cap and pulled it over her ears in frustration, "AHHH! Wicca said you were slow but I didn't realize you were this slow! Yes! I came here with them and they're now in danger!"

"Where are they?!"

Kio pointed up at the skies and behind Zoro, "I was following the guys with wings and they were all going that way."

"Great," Zoro said. He leapt to his feet and sprinted forward.

"THAT'S NOT WHERE I POINTED!" Kio cried out in horror, "You're going the wrong way again!"

Zoro skidded to a halt, "Gaaaaah!" he shouted. He spun around and corrected his path. He picked up Kio without breaking stride. Then he ran past a tree covered in yellow moss.

"Stop!"

Zoro almost fell off the tree root. He had to grab onto a low hanging vine to steady himself. He glared down at the Tontatta in his hands, "Now what?!"

"Climb up the tree!" Kio said as she pointed to the yellow moss, "Reiland said that's the tree you can climb up!"

Zoro took a deep calming breath. "And why are we climbing trees?"

"So we can see the men with wings! They won't be down here if they can fly…" Kio said impatiently. She crossed her arms and glared at the swordsman, "Duh!"

"Ugh, you're just as bad as the Know It All," he grumbled. He turned to face the tree trunk and began to climb up the tree. It didn't help his mood to learn that this tiny person was right. This tree was climbable and its branches were sturdy.

They reached the top and he saw the men with wings flying away from the island. They were much lower to the ground than Zoro and they flew under his feet. "Follow them!" Kio demanded.

"I know that!" Zoro snapped as he ran forward.

"Then why are you running the other way?!"

"Shut up!"

By the time they reached the edge of the island, Zoro was sweating profusely. With the amount of misdirection and backtracking, the distance he covered was equal to twice the length of the island. Kio, at that point, was just too relieved to get to their destination to make that observation to the swordsman.

Zoro saw off that the men were flying off the island and up towards the clouds above. "So they  _are_ from Skypeia…" he murmured to himself.

"Who cares where they're from?!" Kio snapped, "The question is how do we get up there?"

"Relax. I know how these guys operate," Zoro said as he waited for a man to fly below him. He immediately leapt off of the branch and onto the man, bringing them both crashing down onto the tree roots below.

"Ow! What the hell?!" the man muttered.

"I am your new God!" Zoro commanded.

Kio's jaw dropped to the floor and her eyes bugged out. "What?!"

Zoro drew his sword and pointed it at the man's neck. "I am your new God," he repeated, "And I'm here to replace your old one!"

The man had no idea what to make of this. "What are you talking about?"

Kio smacked her face with her palm and heaved a stress filled sigh. Zoro shrugged and then went behind the man. His eye glinted with menace and he brought the blade directly under the man's chin. "Plan B," the swordsman growled as he linked his arms under the man's shoulders, "Take us to your leader."

"Now that's more like it!" Kio shouted triumphantly as the scared man piggybacked his two hijackers up towards the clouds. When they got past the them, Zoro saw a massive ship with two giant wings on the sides. The ship had no sails and had three decks. The shape reminded Zoro of a cake but with a curved bottom. It also didn't help that the ship was painted a brilliant white. The sunlight gleamed off of the white paint so sharply that it hurt if you stared at it too long.

"This isn't Skypeia at all!" Zoro muttered in disappointment as he looked around the top deck. He glared angrily at the man, who he had knocked unconscious as soon as he had climbed aboard.

"Why are you acting so let down?!" Kio cried, "No one told you it was Skypeia in the first place!"

"Yah, yah," Zoro said half heartedly as he started to walk around the ship.

"What are you doing?!" Kio hissed. Instantly, the unconscious man was stripped bare and his helmet and armor were flung at Zoro's face, "At least, try to blend in!"

"Mmmmf," Zoro grunted as he peeled the leather off his face, "Why should I?"

"Because we need to look for the other's first!" Kio was utterly baffled, "I can't believe Reiland was devastated when she heard you died. I've only been with you for less than an hour and even  _I_ want to kill you."

Zoro smirked as he pulled the armor over his body. "So the Know It All was devastated, was she?"

"That wasn't my point!"

"Yah, yah," Zoro said again as he pulled the leather helmet over his head. His eye peeking out from the eye holes. He picked up Kio and tucked her underneath his armor so she could look out from his chest. He strolled down the ship with a cocky swagger and a confident grin on his face.  _She misses me._

There were four rooms in the top deck and Zoro inspected each one. The first room Zoro looked into was a torture chamber. It was filled with chains, blades, iron maidens, and all other types of contraptions designed to inflict the most pain. It wasn't lost on the swordsman that this room was the first room on the deck. It was as if the owner wanted this room to be the most accessible.

As soon as stuck his head into the second room, he quickly shut the door before Kio could get a good look. "Hey! I didn't get to see inside," she complained.

"You didn't need to," Zoro hissed between clenched teeth.

"What was in there?" Kio asked.

"Big human stuff," Zoro replied curtly as he tried to pretend he didn't see a velvet and leather covered room filled with swings, whips, and other objects that he had no idea how it would be used but had a suspicion it was all for one purpose and one purpose only.  _I bet that pervert chef would know all about the stuff in this room,_ he thought with disgust as he moved onto the next room.

He mentally prepared himself before turning the knob to the third room. He cracked the door and instantly was hit by a strong odor of something that made him crack a greedy smile.

Kio, on the other hand, did not have the same reaction. She pinched her nose and cried, "What is that? Poison?!"

"More big human stuff," Zoro grinned. He flung the door wide open and walked into what he deemed as a dream pantry. Shelves stacked upon shelves filled with jars and bottles of alcohol lined the walls. There were all sorts of spirits for the swordsman to try. He grabbed a sleek olive green bottle and uncorked it to take a whiff. His lips curled up into a big smirk. "This will do for now," he said as he exited the room with bottle in hand.

When he entered the last room of the top deck, he saw that it was a bedroom. Zoro figured this must be the quarters to whoever owned this ship because it was ornately decorated, there was a king sized canopy bed in the center, and a rather large oversized wardrobe in one of the corners. There were two pieces of artwork hanging from the wall but they were both covered by white sheets. There were also two prison cells off to the side. Zoro's eye widened when he saw the inhabitants of the cell nearest to him. "What are you guys doing here?!"

Bridia and Spur were just as surprised to see him, although they looked also slightly annoyed at the way he entered. "How are you alive?!" Spur demanded, "Bayard said you fell in the quicksand."

"About time, Zoro-ya!" Law yelled.

"I cut myself out," Zoro replied to Spur before turning his attention to Law, "Oy...what the hell happened to you?"

Spur balked at the swordsman's response. "That's impossible."

Zoro shrugged, "It's what I did."

"How is that an answer?!" Bridia snapped.

Zoro let out a growl of frustration, "I should be the one asking questions! Where is the Know It All?"

"Free us and we will tell you!"

With a two swings of his sword, the front of the prison cell broke into pieces. The Leethe people scrambled out and then glanced worriedly at the old man in adjacent cell, who was snoring loudly in his still intact prison. "Should we take him out?" Spur wondered.

"Leave him," Bridia snarled as she marched towards Zoro, "We are here to save our own."

Baba, who had remained quiet the entire time in captivity, finally spoke up as she made her way towards Zoro. "You…" she whispered in a serious hushed tone.

"Huh? Me?" Zoro asked staring the the old woman skeptically. She looked older than time itself and was tinier than Chopper. What was a person like this doing here?

"You…" she said again. She beckoned Zoro to lean down closer to her and when he did, she put a hand on his cheek, "You're very attractive."

Law put a palm to his face while Spur and Bridia looked incredulously at the old woman. Boulder just chuckled happily. Zoro immediately jerked away from her touch and took a step back. "Oy, granny...Are you trying to hit on me too?" he pointed the hilt of his Wado Ichimonji at Bridia, "Cause that one tried too but it didn't work."

Bridia crossed her arms indignantly. "Please. Like I was being serious," she said with slight embarrassment.

"Hehehehe," Baba chuckled, "Yes...It's you. This time I'm sure of it."

"Huh? OW!" Zoro flinched as Baba jabbed him hard in the chest area.

"Hehehe, looks like the little one has the same effect on you," Baba said with a relieved smile, "Good. This is good."

"What are you babbling on about?" Zoro said exasperatedly.

"Wait...Baba," Bridia yelled, catching on to what her grandmother was saying, "Are you saying that the Runt and him are-"

"Hold it right there!"

Zoro and the others turned to see five leather masked men at the door. They all held guns that were directed at the Leethe people and Law, "Step away from the guard."

"Guard?" Zoro asked.

"You!" Kio hissed from under his armor.

"Right…" Zoro muttered, remembering his disguise. He put his hands on the back of his head and let out a relieved sigh. "Boy, am I glad you guys are here. These prisoners have tried to escape."

"They must be trying to stop the wedding," one of the men said.

Zoro raised an eyebrow, "Wedding?"  _Is Ellis finally going to marry that Maria chick?_

"The Master has strict orders that we keep a close eye on the prisoners. He does not want anyone to disturb his special day."

"So...this Master guy is getting married?" Zoro asked.  _Wasn't he looking for his sister? Is he marrying that Maria girl instead?_

"Idiot," Kio gasped, "You're going to blow your cover!"

However, the guards seemed to find Zoro's reaction amusing. They started to laugh among themselves.

"We were pretty shocked when we heard the news ourselves," one of the men chuckled, "But then again the Master does whatever he pleases."

 _Wouldn't he have to deal with her having a kid from another man?_  Zoro wondered to himself.

"Although," another man gulped, interrupting Zoro's thoughts, "I feel kind of sorry for the bride. She'll be the one dealing with our Master's…err...special hobbies…"

"If it's any consolation, she won't last long. The women he toys with never survive past a week," the first man said sympathetically, "And this one looks weak."

"Yah. I saw her when he brought her in. Girl looked like there was no life in her and she was crying even in her sleep," another man added.

"Tch. Who would want a girl like that?" Zoro said and then flashed an annoyed look at Bridia and Spur. Both of them were gaping at him with opened mouths and their eyes were practically popping out of their sockets at him. "What?!"

 _Idiot,_  Law thought to himself.

Zoro's outburst caused the leather masked men to re-raise their weapons at the Leethe people. "Stop right there! Don't try anything."

_Shing! Shing!_

The barrels of the guns fell into tiny pieces onto the floor as Zoro took a gulp from his bottle. His Shusui unsheathed and held in his other hand. He looked lazily at Bridia as he walked past her to get to Law. "They're all yours."

"Don't cut the chains. It's-" Law started to say.

"Yah, yah. I recognize them," Zoro said. He sliced upwards with his sword and the padlock that held the chains in place fell into two perfect halves with Rei's dagger chains unscathed. The chains loosened and fell to the side. The swordsman lifted them up with his foot and flung it over his shoulder, while the former Warlord stood up. "You good?"

"Yah. Thanks, Zoro-ya."

_Bang!_

Zoro's unsheathed Shusui suddenly rammed up against Law's nodachi. "What the hell, Zoro-ya?!"

Zoro glared at the Heart Pirate past their crossed weapons. "Stop…" he seethed, "Trying to recruit the Know It All."

Law raised an eyebrow, "Is that what you thought I was doing with Rei-ya?"

Zoro blinked. "Is it not?"

Law pressed his fingers to his temple to alleviate his growing migraine. "No," he said simply, "it's not."

"Then why-"

"Ask Rei-ya!" Law snapped, "I can't bother with you right now." He walked past the now fallen bodies of the guards and nodded appreciatively at Bridia, Boulder, and Spur's quick handiwork. He then headed straight for the open door. "I'm going to go get her back."

"That's  _my_  job!" Zoro and Bridia yelled at the same time before looking at each other in surprise.

* * *

Ellis gripped Marita protectively by the shoulders as she trembled with fear. He held a sleeping baby Rei in his other arm. They were sitting quietly in a cage that was being wheeled into a rather large ballroom. "Rei would not approve of this," Ellis said mostly to help the lighten the mood as he looked at the opulent chandeliers and oil paintings that hung around the room. There were also pairs of golden crossed sabers that sat right on top of the wall sconces. "It's too ostentatious and not very functional."

Marita choked out a small laugh as she clung to the prince's side, "That's Bayard for you...He's always been very over the top and not very practical." The sound of her own brother's name made Marita terrified again and she buried her face in Ellis' shoulder.

"Don't worry," Ellis said, trying to sound more positive than he felt, "I'll get us out of this…I'll think of something."

The men pulling the cage stopped and left it sitting to the side of the room, with a view of a golden archway placed in the center. Before Ellis could say anything else to Marita, the sounds of violins came through the door. A parade of musicians walked in as they played a lovely concerto full of trills and arpeggios. They split in half and lined themselves along the aisle, without pausing in their performance.

A line of guards walked down the aisle, throwing rose petals behind them as they went. They parted into two lines and stood behind the stage. They were followed by a man who looked more birdlike than human. He was round around the middle but his legs were thin and stuck out under him like a crane. His beak shaped nose didn't help either and his blonde bangs covered his eyes. He went straight to the altar and stood at the center.

There was a silence in the air as the standing orchestra finished their song. Then, the musicians took a deep breath and started to play a pompous wedding march. If not for the given circumstances, Ellis would've bursted out laughing at the sight of the groom. Bayard was wearing a powdered wig that was curled so high that it could've been a separate head. He wore white trousers that clung to his skinny legs and a royal blue coat with gold stitching that went all the way down his coat tails. It dragged on the floor behind him like a train. The ballroom doors closed behind him.

Bayard walked up to the altar and smiled smoothly at Ellis and Marita. "It's a shame you two have never been able to experience this for yourselves."

Marita tightened her hold on Ellis as she glared back at her brother, "Why are you doing this? Is this what father told you to-?"

"Don't talk to me about that old man!" Bayard spat back, which made Marita cower, "That man is not a father to me!"

Ellis put his arm out in front of Marita as she hid behind him. "Watch your tone, Bayard," he warned.

But Bayard was not listening. He had started to pace back and forth at the altar with his fists clenched at his side. He then pointed an accusing finger at Marita, "When you left, he searched for you for a year...and then you know what happened?" Bayard didn't bother for a response as he continued his rant, "He gave up! He said that maybe he would just give me the thrown after he died!"

"And you don't want your own kingdom?" Marita asked.

Bayard stopped his pacing and then looked at Marita as if she had grown three heads. "Of course I do. That's why I'm going to kill him."

"You're going to what?!" Marita and Ellis gasped.

"Yes, yes. I'm going to kill our father," Bayard said impatiently as he continued his pacing again, "And then I can be King of Uslua but I don't just want that! The other two got their own kingdoms but not me. Why do I get a hand me down kingdom?!" He flashed his grey eyes at his sister and then at the baby in Ellis' arms. "I want the pleasure of being able to reshape and reform a new kingdom!"

"You're mad…" Marita gasped.

"No, sister," Bayard retorted, "I'm furious! I-"

He stopped short as the doors opened and the music picked up again. His eyes lit up with delight. "Ah! Here comes the bride!"

"This can't be right..." Ellis said as he pressed his face against the cage to get a better look. Rei walked down wearing the most ridiculous gown he had ever seen. She looked like she was engulfed in a fabric wedding cake. It was a dress even his own sister, Mirabelle, the expert in silly dresses, would say no to.

The skirt of Rei's gown poofed out from her waist and cascaded out comically by at least a foot in diameter. The front of her gown was bedazzled in rhinestones of all shapes and sizes and they were bookended by puffed sleeves that were taller than her head. However, what really surprised him, though, was that Rei was willingly walking down the aisle with a serene smile on her face. "Rei?! What are you doing?!"

"Ellis," Marita gasped as she pointed at Rei's eyes. They were in a daze and her irises were pink, "She's not herself."

"What did you do to her?" Ellis shouted at Bayard, who ignored the prince's outburst and offered an arm to his bride as she joined him at the altar. He looked at Rei in such a crude manner that it made Ellis gulp and pull Marita tighter to him.

"Now then, my dear…" Bayard oozed, "Shall we?"

The spellbound Rei nodded silently and stared blankly back at him.

"Ahem," the birdlike man said as he cleared his throat, "Dearly beloved, we are-"

_Crash!_

"I object!" two voices shouted.

The grand double doors of the ballroom came crashing down in large chunks as Law and Zoro stood in the doorway, holding out their weapons. Law had a bored expression on his face while it was quite clear that Zoro was very much bothered by the current situation. A vein was throbbing along his neck and he scowled with annoyance.

"I object too!" Kio called out as she jumped out of Zoro's armor. She ran to the cage and bounded over to the cage. She positioned herself in front of Marita. "Reiland asked for my help to protect you and the baby and that's what I'm going to do."

"What the hell, Know It All?! First you run off with Law and now you're marrying this guy?!" Zoro seethed as he marched down the aisle, ignoring everyone else in the room. "I thought he was going to marry that Maria chick."

Law calmly followed along beside Zoro. "Oy, Zoro-ya," he said coolly, "How many times do I have to explain this to you? Maria is his sister. Of course he's not going to marry her."

Ellis couldn't help himself. "MARITA!" he snapped.

The former warlord and swordsman turned their attention at Ellis and his family. "Oh, hey," they said halfheartedly before continuing down the aisle.

"WHAT?! That's all the response I get?!" Ellis fumed, "Help us out of here!"

Bayard glared at the two wedding crashers as he smoothly moved Rei so that she was standing directly in front of him. He put a possessive across her chest and rested his hand on her neck right below her jawline. His hand started to exude pink smoke, which Rei inhaled. He pressed his head against hers so that his lips just brushed against her ear. "She's mine," Bayard hissed in a honeyed voice.

Zoro stopped cold. The air around him turned murderous and Marita instinctively went behind Ellis a little more. The swordsman placed his Wado Ichimonji in his mouth as his eyes glinted red. He raised his sword. "I'm going to kill you."

"Room," Law said at the same time as he lifted his palm to create his battlefield, "Shambles." With a pop, Ellis, Marita, Little Rei, and Kio found themselves outside of the cage, with three of the leather masked guards and a shoe from another guard taking their place.

Rei's eyes flashed as soon as Zoro started to swing his sword. She dashed towards Zoro in a red blur. She ducked low to avoid his Wado Ichimonji and at the same time clapped his two blades together with her bare hands, stopping them from sending a long distance cut through the air. Blood dripped down from her hands as Zoro looked down at her in surprise. "Oy! Know It All, what are you doing?"

"Zoro-ya," Law said, "She's probably under some kind of spell. The Master guy can do mind control with his Devil Fruit."

"Very good, Trafalgar Law," Bayard sang encouragingly, "Very good indeed! You're almost as clever as my bride, aren't you?...Almost."

Suddenly, Rei released Zoro's swords and pulled her dagger chains off of his shoulders. "Twin Talon Grip!" she cried as turned her back on Zoro and threw her daggers out towards Law.

_Clank!_

Rei's eyes widened as Zoro hooked his arm around her front and yanked her backwards so that her weapons fell just short from reaching the former warlord. "If you were really the Know It All," Zoro growled, as she struggled against his hold, "You would know it wouldn't be smart to turn your back on me."

Rei looked up at Zoro and she stared blankly back at him. "Linked Haki," she stated and then vanished from his hold.

"Oooh, now this is an interesting power!" Bayard clapped his hands in delight as Rei appeared back next to him, with a tiny amount of blood coming out of her lip corner.

"Idiot!" Zoro shouted at the dazed Rei, "You're going to kill yourself if you keep doing that!"

"It's no use, Zoro-ya!" Law replied, "It's not her! She's not in control of herself."

Zoro directed his anger at Bayard. "You…" he snarled.

"Guards!" Bayard called out to his men as he put his hand around Rei's neck. He made a point to caress her skin for a moment, which made Zoro's stomach turn. Bayard's hand glowed again and this time Rei fell limply into his arms, "Guards!"

The guards around the aisle ran towards Law and Zoro. More men pooled in from the door and they surrounded the room with their weapons raised but before they could make any move, something came bulldozing through the door.

"Ooof! Ahh! Gahhh!" the men screamed as Boulder charged through, with Baba on his back, and Bridia and Spur following closely behind.

"What did we miss?" Bridia asked as they formed a circle around Marita and the baby.

"Nothing…" Law said coolly as he glowered at Bayard who was starting to back away from them while carrying an unconscious Rei, "The fight has just begun…"

"Great," Spur said dryly, "Didn't even take some out for us. How kind."

"Oy, Zoro-ya," Law called out as he watched Bayard disappear through an oil painting at the back of the room, "I-"

"Yeah, I know," Zoro said as he strolled alongside the Heart Pirate, "I'll handle the Know It All. You get that Master guy...But Tra-guy?"

"Yeah?"

"Make it hurt."

"With pleasure," Law replied before they both went behind the painting.


	66. Innocence

"Marita, down!" Ellis cried as he pushed Marita's head down just in time to avoid two flying sabers from beheading her. The sabers had two small wings on top of them and Ellis glared over at the bird like man, who was standing at the altar with his arms crossed. The prince grabbed the hilt of one of the sabers and then covered it with his Armament Haki. The wings disappeared from it immediately and the prince held it out in front of him. "I'll get him," he said as he made his way to the Wing Wing Fruit user, "You guys protect Marita and Little Rei."

"Don't order us around," Bridia barked as she took down three men with one swift roundhouse kick, "We didn't come here for you."

A wind breezed through the guards and they looked down to see that their weapons had vanished. "What?!"

_Clink! Clank! Clunk!_

A pile of their weapons appeared at Bridia, Spur, and Boulder's feet and Kio stood on top of it proudly. "Arm yourselves!" the Tontatta yelled. The humans were happy to oblige, even though they were a little confused at who this tiny little person was.

"Baba, can you please hold him?" Marita said as she passed the baby to Baba, who had jumped off of Boulder's back and was whacking a man's knee with her wooden cane.

"Of course, dear," Baba replied as Marita formed a frame with her index fingers and thumbs.

"Truth Truth," Marita called out as a bubble extended out of her fingers and enveloped five men in front of her, "Painful Truths!"

The bubble popped and each men sank to their knees. "I'm so ashamed!" one of them cried, "I've killed so many innocent people."

Another one grabbed his head. "I stole candy from a baby once. I cannot call myself a man!"

"Ooh, very nice," Baba whistled as she rocked Little Rei in her arms, who squealed with happiness.

"You like that Little Rei?" Ellis called. The Wing Wing Fruit user was flitting all around him like an annoying gnat, while trying to jab at him with a foot long knife. The prince easily avoided the attacks with his saber and Observational Haki. He squatted down and pointed his saber directly at the Wing Wing Fruit user's chest, "Watch this, son!"

"Tannenbay Signature Move!" He stamped his foot hard on the ground. The Wing Wing Fruit user, already nervous for the oncoming attack, flinched. That was the opening Ellis was expecting and he lunged forward at his opponent, sticking the blade straight through him, "Appel-Lunge."

The man gasped and fell backwards as he bled onto the floor.

"Ellis!" Marita cried.

"Don't worry," Ellis said as he wiped off his blade, "I avoided his major organs. He's down but he won't die. If he does, the wings would disappear from this ship and we'd all crash down."

The prince pressed his foot against the man's wound and the man groaned in agony. "But don't think I won't kill you if you try anything funny," he warned.

The man whimpered at the prince and nodded in defeat. The prince turned to leave but the Wing Wing Fruit user grabbed his foot and held it down. "Wait," the man wheezed, "There's something you should know…The king...the king...is here."

"What?" Prince Ellis cried, "King Godet is here? Where?!"

"Upstairs...in the Master's room…," the man gasped, "He's been torturing him...and he's threatened to do the same to us if we didn't obey."

"I see," Prince Ellis said with a scowl, "It still doesn't mean I'm going to spare you though if you try anything."

The man nodded again. "I know…"

Ellis sighed, "But...if you do behave, I'll give you a fair trial on Beffi Island."

"Thank you...thank you, sir," the man gasped and he released Prince Ellis' foot.

Marita ran over to the prince and she flung her arms around his shoulders before planting a solid kiss on his lips. "That's the man I love," she said proudly, "My hero."

Ellis blushed furiously and he gave Marita a squeeze.

* * *

"Uh...Zoro-ya," Law said.

"I know," Zoro growled.

"We never mention this to anyone, understood?"

"Completely."

It turned out that the space behind the oil painting was a long, dark stairwell that wound upwards. The stairwell was lined from floor to ceiling with rather uncomfortable paintings. They alternated between portraits of nude women in very compromising positions and scenes depicting torture and gory demises. Zoro and Law ran up the stairs trying very hard not to look at the walls. However, that proved to be an almost impossible task as it was a circular stairwell and the artwork was visible at every angle.

"This guy is really sick," Zoro said.

"I do not wish to discuss it... _ever_ ," Law replied tersely.

"Fair enough," Zoro grunted as he averted his eyes from a painting that featured two particularly busty females.  _And I thought the pervert cook was bad…Man, if he saw this.._

They were both very happy when they reached the top of the stairs and spotted the open doorway. However, their relief was short lived when they walked through it and found themselves in the second room of the top deck that Zoro had found. The one that Zoro didn't even bother to step foot in earlier.

"Don't touch anything," Zoro said.

"Wasn't going to," Law replied as he carefully walked through the room to avoid being caught in the leather swing or the poles with the leather ropes coming out from around it.

"Do you think-"

"No," Law cut Zoro off immediately, "I don't want to think about  _anything_  right now."

"Fair enough," Zoro grunted again as he walked past an opened chest filled with wooden paddles, whips, and handcuffs.

Zoro stopped mid-step as the pieces began to come together in his mind. "I feel kind of sorry for the bride. She'll be the one dealing with our Master's…err...special hobbies…" the guard had said.

When he walked through the door, Law was surprised to see Zoro had remained in the center of the room. "Zoro-ya, what are you-?"

"Three Sword Style...Charm Demon Sleepless Night Demon Slash," Zoro growled as a murderous aura started to come off of him creating the illusion of a large figure with red glinting eyes standing over him. The steam also made his katanas look like they were bending. "Oni Giri."

He lunged towards the door, cutting and breaking everything into the room. He walked out of just as the door frame collapsed behind him. He took the bandana on his arm and re-tied it around his head. "Tra-guy, when you deal with that guy," he said as he tightened the knot, "Let me get in at least one good cut."

Law casually adjusted the weight of his nodachi against his shoulder and continued down the deck. "Sure."

They each faced a different room and without speaking, they sliced the doors in half at the same time. The doors collapsed into a pile of splinters on the floor. Law stared into the alcohol storage room with no signs of Rei or Bayard, while Zoro had the same results with the bedroom. They both turned to the last remaining door and a feeling of dread gripped Zoro's heart.

"Tra-guy...that room," Zoro said as he brought his Wado Ichimonji back to his mouth, "Is the bastard's torture chamber."

"Good," Law replied. He approached the door calmly, "A surgeon needs his tools, after all."

They opened the door just in time to see Rei plunge her daggers into the chest of the one armed, one legged old man, with Bayard looking delightly from behind. The man screamed out in horrible agony while Rei kept a vacant expression on her face.

"Rest in peace," Bayard cried gleefully, "Father-sama."

Rei twisted the blade into the dying old king. His screams were mixed with the sounds of Bayard's maniacal laugh. King Godet laid on a cold steel table that soon got covered with his blood. The screaming eventually stopped and his hands fell limply over the table.

"Oy! Know It All!" Zoro tried to go for her but Law stuck his nodachi out to block the swordsman.

"Wait, Zoro-ya," Law said. He watched Rei pull out her dagger. Blood splattered upwards across the front of her wedding dress and some got on her cheek but Law did not take his eyes off of the king's wound. His eyes narrowed.

"Well done, my love," Bayard cheered. He stroked Rei's face tenderly. He locked eyes with Zoro before giving her a firm kiss on the cheek, taking pleasure in the burning rage of the swordsman.

"I'm going to kill you!" Zoro seethed but again, Law held him back. As a doctor, he was used to bloodshed but the hollowed look in Rei's eyes and the splatters across her front were a little unsettling even for him.

"Zoro-ya," Law said calmly, "I'm going to need you to keep Rei-ya preoccupied in the next room."

"What are you planning on-"

"Room!" Law called as he lifted his hand up, "Shambles."

With a pop, Zoro found himself standing face to face with Rei in the alcohol storage room. "God damn it! Not here, Tra-guy!" he shouted angrily as he raised his swords, "These bottles are precious!"

He sidestepped just in time to avoid Rei's daggers from plunging into his chest and they smashed two bottles behind him. "Watch it, Know It All!" he yelled at her as she held onto the ends of her chains. He grabbed the daggers off the wall and started to pull her towards him.

She wrapped her chains around her wrists for additional support but she was no match for Zoro's strength and the swordsman knew it. He smirked at her while dragging her out of the room and into the bedroom next door.

When he got into the center of the room, he dropped his hold on her chains and she tumbled backwards. Her gown lifted over her head and into a bundle. Zoro snorted with laughter, "You look like a cotton ball."

She stood up and tried to go after Zoro again but her foot got caught in the hem of her gown and she fell forward. This time Zoro couldn't control his amusement and he let out a hearty laugh.

_Riiiiiip._

Without a word, Rei stood up and cut off her heavy gown dress with her daggers, revealing a silk, white slip dress that cut right below her thigh and low cut enough for Zoro to be thankful she still had her bandages wrapped around her chest. "OY! KNOW IT ALL!" Zoro protested immediately as heat rose to his cheeks. He took off his suit jacket and with a pop, it returned to a pebble.

"God damn it! I forgot about Kin's power," he grunted and hurriedly went to the nearby wardrobe to find some sort of coverage for her, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Know It All?! And who the hell dressed you?! It better not be that pervert because I'll cut his eyes out."

_Thwack! Thwack!_

Her two daggers lodged deeply into the wardrobe door as Zoro flung it open. "AH!" he exclaimed triumphantly as he pulled out a man's black tuxedo jacket with shiny black lapels. He threw it at Rei's face and it fell limply to the floor. Her expression did not change.

"Work with me here, Know It All," Zoro said with gritted teeth as he ran towards her with his swords at the ready.

Rei said nothing back as she threw her chains up high and pulling her daggers back towards her. She did a running leap, tucking her knees in, and catching her daggers in midair before somersaulting over Zoro.

_Clang! Clang!_

"Oy...Know It All," Zoro growled. He had turned immediately and he blocked her daggers with his swords, "Don't attack me from behind. Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame."

Suddenly, her pink eyes flashed a bright green and he felt something in the pit of his stomach. "Oy, Know It All," Zoro drawled, "You better not be using my own Haki against me..."

_Shing! Cling! Clank! Shing!_

Rei unleashed a flurry of attacks that came from all directions. When Zoro wasn't blocking her daggers, he was sidestepping her chains. She was very light footed and danced circles around him.

_Thwack!_

She caught Zoro off guard when she suddenly did a one handed cartwheel to kick him in the face with her bare foot. It knocked his Wado Ichimonji right out of his mouth. It flew across the room and landed straight in the middle of one of the covered artwork.

"Nice," Zoro grunted admirably as he rubbed his jaw, "Now it's my turn."

He raised his two swords, "Two Sword Sty-"

Rei ducked down and grabbed him by his ankles. She pulled him forward, knocking him onto his back.

"Oy!" Zoro snapped as she leapt into the air. He crossed his swords in time to block her feet from driving into his chest. He pushed her upwards and she backflipped out of the way. He got up to his feet and glared at her, "I'm not going to apologize on what I'm about to do…" he said as he returned his two swords into his scabbards, "Because I know if you were here, you'd understand."

"One sword style," he muttered. He unsheathed his Shusui with a flick of his thumb. The Know It All started to run towards him, "Lion's Song of Death."

_Shiiiiing!_

Rei fell forward as Zoro resheathed his sword and caught her by the waist with his other arm. "Don't worry," he explained to her even though he was sure she was unconscious, "I used the back of my sword...You'll just have a nasty bruise in the morning."

Her fingers dug into his arm.

"What the-?"

Before he could react, she had him by the wrist. She flung him over her shoulder and he landed hard on his back. "Oof!"

He stared up at the still awake Rei. He rolled swiftly towards the wall to avoid her daggers as she flung it towards his face. He got up to his feet and yanked his Wado Ichimonji out of its place. The sheet of the artwork fell the floor along with it. "Looks like I have to take you a bit more seriously…"

His own eye glinted red as he felt the bloodlust that came from the Know It All. "It really has come to this, hasn't it?"

Their blades clashed together furiously over and over again. Zoro gritted his teeth as he tried to find an opening to go on the offensive but Rei was not letting up. His strength overpowered her for sure but she made up for it with her speed and agility.

Out of nowhere, she froze mid attack creating a huge opening for Zoro. "Three Sword Style." He took advantage of this chance and ran past the Know It All, "Oni Giri."

Rei stumbled forward onto the floor and she dropped her weapons. Zoro turned to look at her as her own blood dripped from his blades. His jaws clenched tightly into a scowl, showing his displeasure of his act. "Know It All, I-"

She turned her head towards him and instantly, her eyes glowed pink again and she picked up her daggers as she lunged towards him.

_Clang!_

"God damn it!" Zoro seethed as he blocked her attack.

They pushed against each other and turned while doing so. When they pivoted 180 degrees, Rei froze again and Zoro knocked her backwards with the hilt of his swords.

"Have you gone crazy?" Zoro asked incredulously. Rei glanced up and for a second, her face flushed red and she averted her eyes. He had thought the opening before, when the Know It All had froze the first time, was just a lucky chance but to do it a second time? The Know It All wasn't careless and she didn't make mistakes so...what was happening?

Zoro narrowed his eyes as he studied her and then he realized that she wasn't averting her eyes from him. In fact...she had directly looked past him before she had paused. He turned around and his eyes widened. When he had pulled out his Wado from the painting, it had also pulled down the sheet that was covering it. The artwork was revealed and that was what kept catching the Know It All's eye. This painting was quite tame compared to the others and only depicted a naked man lying on top of an equally naked woman in a meadow.

"Don't tell me…" Zoro chuckled as he looked at the blushing Rei, "No matter how much your mind is being controlled, you're still pretty innocent, huh?"

As soon as her eyes fell on Zoro, they flashed back to pink and she raised her weapons again. Zoro took a deep breath and held out his swords. "Time for Plan B…"

She raced towards him with her daggers in hand. At the last second, Zoro dropped his swords. He reached out to grab her by the wrists, pulling them forward and around his waist. Their lips collided with such force that their teeth knocked together. "Shock you awake," he murmured against her lips. He heard her daggers drop to the floor but he kept his eye on her.

Rei's eyes were as big as they were on the plateau. He held the kiss as she stared back at him in horror. The pink color in her eyes was fading but it wasn't enough. He let go of her wrists and put his hands on the sides of her face. He drew her into the kiss even more.  _Come on, Know It All. Come back to me._

He felt a sharp intake of her breath against his lips. She blinked and her widened eyes returned to their original color. Zoro slowly lifted his head, breaking off the kiss. Her eyes blinked again and she looked at him with disbelief and confusion.

"Am…am I still dreaming?" she whispered.

"No."

"But you're alive…"

"Should I not be?" he grunted.

"So this is real?" she asked. Her voice was filled with skepticism and doubt. It made Zoro scowl. The Know It All was usually confident and self assured. She sounded and looked more vulnerable than he had ever seen her. He hated that look on her face and it boiled his blood.

"Get a grip, Know It All!" he snapped, "If I say you're not dreaming then you're not dreaming. Got it?"

Rei sucked in a breath and then she nodded slowly, still not quite believing his words. Zoro glowered back at her and a vein started to throb in his neck. He knocked his forehead firmly against hers and glared down into her eyes "You're not dreaming. This is real and I'm alive," he barked, "Now you say it."

Rei blinked. "I'm not dreaming. This is real…" she stated and then her eyes started to soften, "And...you're…alive."

Tears formed in her eyes and eventually started to trickle down her face but she didn't look away from Zoro. "You're alive," she whispered, "You're alive."

Then, Zoro found Rei's arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his chest. He could feel her crying against his shoulder. Slowly, he wound his arms around her waist for support and placed his chin on the top of her head.  _She's back…_ , he thought with a sigh.

"Oy, Know It All...when you've come to your senses," he grunted softly, "Can you explain to me what the hell is going on?"

* * *

"Id Id," Bayard tried for the third time, "Pleasure Dome."

"Shambles," Law said popping into the other end of the room and to avoid getting caught in Bayard's powers, "Tact!"

The weapons along the walls started to float up and compile into a ball at the ceiling. They floated threateningly over Bayard's head. Bayard shot Law a panicked look and he pointed his finger at him. "Id Id Pleasure Beam!"

The pink pulse of light shot out of his finger but Law was able to sidestep it easily and it disappeared into the wall behind him. Bayard's legs shook as he tried to run out of the room but Law flung the ball of sharp objects down at the doorway, stopping Bayard and missing him by an inch. Bayard, whitened with fear, turned to face the Heart Pirate.

The Heart Pirate didn't want to admit it but Law was getting immense pleasure of toying with Bayard. He could've stopped him a long time ago but Law had a lot of pent up frustration, not just at Bayard but also at the situation in general, that he needed to release. Bayard just happened to be the best target.

"You like torture, right? Because I'm pretty good at that too…." Law said coolly as he pointed his nodachi at Bayard.

_Shing! Shing!_

Bayard's left arm and right leg fell off of him and Bayard immediately wet himself.

"Mes!" Law said as he charged forward, planting his hand on Bayard's chest. Bayard's heart came out from his back. It floated towards Law with the heart beating faster and faster as it got closer to the Heart Pirate. By the time Law had his fingers wrapped around the box, it was fluttering like a hummingbird. Law smirked at Bayard, who panted heavily and soaked in his own urine. Law gave the heart a hard squeeze.

"GAHHHHHHHHH!" Bayard cried.

"You picked the wrong person to mess with. You think just pouring seawater on me would keep you safe?," Law said, his voice rising. He gave the heart a squeeze between each sentence. "You think sea prism chains would stop me? You think putting me in a grass skirt is funny?!"

Law froze and let out a breath of frustration. "Okay, you didn't have anything to do with that one but someone has to pay for that…" His eyes narrowed fiercely and he glowered at the pathetic Bayard. "And I feel like you have a lot of sins to pay for."

"P-p-p-p-please," Bayard begged, "Let me go. I'll give you-"

"You don't have anything I want," Law snapped as he raised his nodachi.

Bayard flinched and then screamed out in horror as his body was cut into pieces. He was helpless as he watched Law rested his sword on his shoulder and made his way to the steel table. Law examined the body of the old king with a frown.

"Scan," he murmured.

"What...what are you doing?!" Bayard's lips yelled.

"Quiet," Law snapped, "I believe I can still save him." He leaned over the body even more and he let out a small smile. "Well done, Rei-ya…"

"What? What's going on?"

"It seems," Law said as he walked over to some metal cabinets tucked in the corner to find anything he could use, "That your power has its limitations…"

He grabbed what he was looking for and went over to the body. He put on some plastic gloves and then a surgical mask. "Rei-ya still had enough control over herself to prevent her from doing any killing...She missed his heart by a quarter inch."

"Get away from him!" Bayard screamed.

"Ah? Get away from who now?" Zoro asked, kicking Bayard's mouth across the room as he entered with Rei standing behind him. She was holding onto his arm for a bit of support. She had the black tuxedo jacket draped over her shoulders and it was buttoned at the front. Her hair had come completely undone and it fell in soft waves down her back. Rei's eyes fell on Law's patient and she froze.

"King Godet?" she asked out loud, "What is he doing here? What happened to him?"

"Long story, Rei-ya," Law said impatiently. He turned his attention back to down to his surgical table, "There's a chance I can still save him if he hasn't lost too much blood but I need to concentrate right now."

"Right," Rei said with a nod and she turned to look at the pile of body parts on the floor. She pointed at it and looked over at Zoro for answers, "Bayard?"

"It seems so," Zoro said as he picked up a twitching hand, "Oy, Know It All, can you wait outside?"

"Why?"

"Because Ellis and Maria-"

"Marita," Rei corrected.

"Whatever. They might come up and I don't want them to see all of this," Zoro finished, as he brought up the hand to eye level, "It might...upset them."

Rei nodded. "That makes sense," she said, "But first…"

She stomped on the closest body part of Bayard by her foot. She wasn't sure what part it was but she saw that Zoro and Law flinched when she crushed it. Bayard let out a blood curdling scream.

"He took over my mind," she stated to a stone faced Zoro. Her face was blank as well but her voice shook a little with anger. It did not go unnoticed by the swordsman. She then walked out and closed the door behind her.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Zoro glared down at the pieces of Bayard. His eye gleamed a demonic red that made all of Bayard's hair stand up. "Oy! Pervert! I have something to ask you…"

The throat of Bayard gulped.

"Was this the hand you used to touch the Know It All?"

* * *

Rei leaned over the railing to the top deck and looked out at the clouds around them. "Zoro is alive and this is reality," she repeated out loud, "Zoro is alive and this is reality."

She knew was awake because her whole body was sore and in pain. She had cuts and bruises she had no recollection of receiving. Rei gripped the side of the railing and tried to calm her thoughts. She didn't want to admit it but she was shaken. Her mind, the one thing that she knew she could always count on, was taken from her. She felt violated and not in control, which frightened her.

"Rei-Rei?"

"Reiland!"

She spun around to see Ellis and Kio running at her. They both hugged her at the same time while Marita, Little Rei, and the Leethe people walked towards them.

"You're okay! Although, what are you wearing?" Ellis demanded when he ended the hug and stepped back while Kio stood on Rei's shoulder.

"I...I don't know," Rei said looking down at her outfit, "By the time I came to, I was wearing this dress...and then Zoro insisted that I put this jacket over it."

The faint sound of Bayard's screams came through from the room and Bridia's head snapped towards the door. "What was that?" she demanded.

"Law and Zoro are…" Rei started to say and then paused. "Actually, I don't know what they're doing in there."

Rei's eyes fell on Marita and then they immediately widened. She turned towards Ellis, "Now...about that kiss you said that happened between us?"

"What?" Ellis scratched his head in confusion then he chuckled, "Oh that! Remember when-?"

He was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Zoro and Law stepped out of the room with Law removing his bloodied gloves and surgical mask, while Zoro had the unconscious but still alive King Godet, draped over his shoulder.

"...Father?!" Marita gasped as she rushed towards Zoro.

"What's going on?" the swordsman demanded as if Marita wasn't even there.

"We were just talking about this kiss that-" Rei began with a faint blush in her cheeks. Zoro dropped the king immediately, much to the protest of both Marita and Law, and he marched over towards Bridia.

"Watch it, Zoro-ya!" Law called to him, "That's still my patient."

"Oy, Lady Bird," Zoro seethed, not paying attention to what was going behind him, "I don't know what your deal is but don't go telling everyone that it was a kiss."

"Well, first,  _I_ told you it wasn't a kiss. You were the one who said it was," Bridia raised an eyebrow. "And secondly, I didn't say anything. She wasn't talking about that."

Zoro froze and then hesitantly turned towards the questioning eyes of the Know It All.

"You two...kissed?" Rei asked.

"No," Bridia replied briskly, "He jumped into Death's Gorge and almost choked so I had to give him some air."

Rei nodded. "I see." She turned back to Ellis. "So did I kiss you?"

"Wait, you don't care?!" Zoro sputtered, "You're not mad?!"

Rei looked back at Zoro again and tilted her head to the side. "Why would I be? You needed air so she saved you."

"Ha! Rei-Rei, so practical," Ellis shook his head with a laugh, "And no. We never kissed but you did try to. Remember that one time we convinced you to drink champagne?"

Rei's face turned red enough to match her hair and she looked horrified. "I-I-I-I-" she stammered. She took a deep breath to compose herself and then looked around the deck at everyone. "I'm not dreaming again right?" she asked weakly.

"Do you usually stomp on a man's nuts in your dreams?" Zoro asked dryly.

"What?"

"Nothing."


	67. Fireside Chats

The light danced around Zoro's scowling face as the flames of the bonfire flickered. They had returned to the Leethe village. Bayard's ship laid in pieces on the bottom of the ocean with Bayard down there with it. They left the most of his men floating in the water to fend for themselves. The rest, excluding the Wing Wing Fruit user, were bound with vines and held as potential servants for the Leethe. The Wing Wing Fruit user, as well as King Godet, were tied together and locked in a room on Ellis' ship, which is where they also found and promptly disposed Lionel's body.

Night had fallen by the time they returned down to Prasa and the Leethe had insisted that they stay for a celebration. Of course, this was after Law had cut the boat without even consulting Zoro first.

"Do you know how much booze was on that ship?!" Zoro snapped at Law, who sat across from him on a log on the other side of the fire, "At least we could've taken a couple of bottles with us."

Rei held out a small baby blue fruit, no bigger than a crab apple. She had sat directly next to Zoro on their own log even though there were plenty of other vacant logs for her to sit. Her choice did not go unnoticed by the swordsman or everyone else, either. "Here, eat this," she offered.

Zoro took it out of her hands and begrudgingly bit into it. "Why? Will it give me a nice buzz?"

"No, I actually have no idea what it is. It could be poison for all I know," Rei said.

Zoro coughed and spat out the bits. "What the hell?!"

Rei gave a small smile, "Kidding. It's edible…"

Kio giggled from Rei's lap. "She did it to us too when we first got onto the island," Law said with a shrug, "I think it's Rei-ya's new favorite joke."

"I think it's her first joke," Ellis gasped as he stared at his best friend, "Rei-Rei...you tell jokes now?!"

Rei shrugged, "I asked Usopp once about the components of practical jokes. Apparently, the science behind that is-"

"We get it. It was a joke. Ha ha," Zoro snapped. He took another bite out of the fruit and glared at the fire. The visitors had agreed that they'd leave for Zou at first light in the morning, using the leftover vivre card from Law. He had torn his in half to give to Luffy before he left them with Bartolomeo. Now his crew's vivre card was no bigger than a fingernail but it was still active. They agreed that they all would take turns navigating except Zoro, who was excused from that duty altogether.

Around him, the villagers were busy either bringing in food, banging on some drums, or dancing around the fire in their leafy clothes. Zoro, Law, and Ellis were the only ones in the same clothes they had come to the island in.

Marita was wearing a strapless green dress made from one large leaf that wrapped around her and was held together by a thorny, red rose at her side. She sat next to Ellis, leaning her head on his shoulder while he played with his son.

The Know It All wore a top made out of woven green vines with matching shorts. The top had thick straps and cut right above her abdomen, which Zoro thought was entirely too revealing for her but said nothing as she had draped a cloak over her shoulders, made out of oily bright green leaves. It resembled the same ones as Baba, but the Know It All's was hooded and cut right at her knees. She wore it with the hood up so that the green contrasted nicely with her bright red hair, which she wore as a loose braid that draped over her shoulder. Her trusty utility belt was clipped right at her waist, even though it looked a lot more worn out than when Zoro first saw it.

Rei got up and went closer to the fire, throwing some dried twigs in there to keep the fire going. She knelt in front of it with her back turned to Zoro. He watched the back of her silhouette and then his eyes fell on the big hole in her utility belt. "Oy, Know It All," he said. He leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder.

Rei jerked a little under his hand and a look of fear quickly flashed across her eyes when she turned her head to look at him. It was so brief and so subtle that if Zoro wasn't holding onto her and looking right at her, he wouldn't have caught it. "Yes?"

Zoro reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out her notebook. "I believe this belongs to you."

Rei's eyes lit up and she took it from him. She hugged the notebook close to her chest. "How'd you even get it?"

"I fought the Lady Bird for it," Zoro said.

"Lady Bird?"

"He means me," Bridia said with an annoyed sigh as she turned a giant spit filled with roasted meats that dangled over the fire, "I tried to make him my man."

Rei stared at her. "You can't take him," Rei replied without missing a beat.

Both Ellis, Baba, and Spur sat up a little bit more, intrigued by her statement.

"He won't listen to you," Rei continued, much to the disappointment to everyone around her, "And you'll need to check with our captain first. We can't leave the crew without Luffy's permission."

"Our captain?" Zoro drawled, "I thought you were leaving with Tra-guy to join his crew."

Rei gaped at him, while Law snorted in the background. "What?" Rei asked, "I'm not joining Law."

"Then why did you say he was your man?"

"If I didn't, they wouldn't let him into the village."

"I'm here now and I didn't have to be anyone's man," Zoro snapped.

"Because you just saved us," Bridia spat back.

Zoro ignored the Lady Bird and raised an eyebrow at the Know It All. "So you lied?"

"Yes," Rei admitted.

Ellis laughed at their exchange, "So you tell jokes and lie now? You really are turning into a pirate, Rei-Rei."

Rei blinked back at him. "I am a pirate."

"Haven't figured out teasing yet, I see," Ellis chuckled.

Zoro put his hand over his eyes and concentrated. "So let me see if I got this straight...You left Dressrosa to help Ellis because he said that his baby and Maria-"

"Marita," Ellis and Rei corrected at the same time.

"Yah yah," Zoro continued, "They were in danger from that pervert...Was he the demon that you saw, Ellis?"

"Demon?" Rei asked.

Ellis scratched the back of his head. "Actually..I don't know...Bayard knocked me out during the fight so I didn't see who it was that tried to cut her."

"Someone tried to cut you?" Rei gasped at Marita.

"It was you, Rei-ya. You did it."

Rei gawked at Law. "What...What did you say?"

"It was you," Law said gravely, "When you heard that Zoro-ya was dead...you lost control and you did something with your Haki...probably with Zoro-ya's Haki too."

Rei and Zoro shared a look of surprise. "Zoro's…?" Rei asked out loud and then her mind flashed back to her previous night on the island. "The western trees," she gasped. The fire twinkled into her eyes as her mind raced.  _Could it be…?_

"Know It All," Zoro's voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to look at him. "Whatever theory you have, it's probably the right one so let's hear it."

"I think…," she said slowly, "When I mix my Haki with yours, I set off this energy that...cuts people."

"Huh?"

"Like Conqueror's Haki," Law spoke up, "But instead of knocking people out, it cuts them. Right Rei-ya? Because that's what it felt like to me."

Zoro looked at the little Tontatta that was busy dancing with some of the Leethe people.

" _I heard the mean man tell her that you fell into the quicksand and died. She was so sad and then she exploded!"_

A smirk came across his face. "Very interesting, Know It All."

"I couldn't find you," she said quietly. She reached out and clutched a handful of his shirt in her hand, as if to make sure he wasn't a ghost.

"Huh?" His eyes jerked towards her.

"I tried finding you with my Observation Haki...but I couldn't find you," Rei explained, "So I panicked."

"I was in the quicksand," Zoro replied gruffly, "I had to get my swords."

Rei nodded solemnly. "Maybe the quicksand has some type of component that blocks out Haki...I didn't consider the possibility at the time. I guess I overreacted."

Ellis balked at her. "You? Overreact?!"

"You care about me that much, Know It All?" Zoro teased.

"Yes."

The tension was so thick with anticipation that Zoro could swear everyone else's ears had grown three times their size as they waited for either Zoro or the Know It All to say something.

"I had a dream about you," Rei confessed, "And it made me realize just how much I cared about you…About everyone. Luffy, Sanji, Franky, Usopp,-"

"Yes, I get who 'everyone' is!" Zoro snapped as he heard disappointed sighs from those around him.

Rei dropped her hold on Zoro's shirt and looked back to the fire. "I realized my dream too," Rei continued, "What I really want…"

Now Zoro was confused. "I thought you wanted to meet Vegapunk and learn about Devil Fruits."

"That's what I thought too," Rei said and she placed a hand on her heart, "But I've learned that a dream is something you want, even though you know it's not logical or probable. It's something you feel...Learning about Devil Fruits and meeting Vegapunk...That was only a task...Something to do in order for me to achieve my dream."

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest. "And that is?"

Rei's eyes met his. "I want to help Luffy become the King of Pirates and be known as the smartest tactician the world has ever seen. I want to be known as the King Maker."

"Ooh, King Maker…" Ellis whistled, "That would be an impressive title, Rei-Rei!"

"King Maker?" Zoro raised an eyebrow and then grinned, "Ah...Now that is a dream."

"Is it a good one?" Rei asked.

"Tch," Zoro scoffed, "You asked that the first time, Know It All."

"But is it a good one?" Rei pressed.

"Achieve it and then you'll find out," Zoro said with a smirk. Then a thought struck him and he frowned at her, "Does that mean you're going to keep running head first into battle?"

"You make it sound like I go in without a plan," Rei replied, "I always have a plan."

"Yah, but you don't share it with anyone else, Rei-ya," Law pointed out, "You just assume we know what you're doing and we just follow along blindly."

"Ah," Zoro grunted in support.

"Very true," Ellis added.

"Yep," Bridia said.

Rei stared at her friends around the fire. She felt her cheeks heat up and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry...If there's anything you are confused about, you could always ask me."

"You don't give us enough time to ask!" They all yelled at her in unison. They stared at each other for a moment and then everyone burst into laughter.

Ellis caught the frown on Rei's lips. "It's not that we don't trust you, Rei-Rei," he clarified, "But sometimes we need to know what's going on in order to help or else we might end up in more trouble."

Rei gulped and looked guiltily at Zoro. "I'm sorry."

Zoro sighed, "It's fine. I'm here, aren't I?"

"How did you get out of the quicksand?" Rei asked.

"I cut myself out," Zoro said.

"Oh, I see," Rei replied and returned to staring at the fire.

Bridia and Spur's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "That's it?! You're accepting that as a logical explanation?!" Bridia asked incredulously.

Rei turned to stare at Bridia. "Zoro can cut anything," she said matter of factly. Beside her, Zoro's chest puffed up with pride.

"Alright," Zoro said as he slid off his log so that he could rest his head on it. He stretched his hands behind his back as he warmed his feet by the fire, "Now I feel like celebrating...Still wish there were some sake or something though."

Baba walked over from the other side of the fire and she pulled out a large bottle from under her cloak. "You mean something like this?" Baba asked with a wink as she handed it to him.

"Baba!" Spur and Bridia shouted indignantly, "Where did you get it?"

"Hehehehe. I took it," Baba replied, "I had a feeling we were going to need it."

"You're not so bad, granny," Zoro said with a grin as he uncorked the bottle and took a large gulp. He then pointed the bottle at Rei. "Want some?" he teased.

Rei's face flushed and she glanced over at Marita, who only laughed alongside Ellis and baby Rei. An idea came over Marita and she brought the baby over to Rei.

"Do you want to hold him?" she asked.

Rei reacted as if she was offering her a bomb. "Are you sure?" Rei asked hesitantly.

Marita nodded earnestly. "You're his namesake, after all."

Rei took the baby from Marita's hands and held it out like she was holding out a shirt. The baby looked curiously at Rei, who stared right back at him.

"Hello," Rei said stiffly, "I'm Rei. Nice to meet you."

"Rei," the baby gurgled. Rei almost dropped him as Ellis and Marita rushed to her side.

"Oh my goodness!" Marita cried, "Did he just say-"

"I think he did!" Ellis shouted.

"Did you mean to say that or are you just making noises?" Rei asked the baby in all seriousness.

"Idiot, he's not going to answer you," Zoro laughed into his bottle.

"I'm Rei," Rei said solemnly.

"Rei," the baby repeated.

"Yes! That's right!" Ellis cheered as he lifted his son up into the air, "Your name is Rei! You're a genius!"

"I doubt that's what constitutes a genius," Zoro scoffed.

Rei stared blankly at Law. "Is that what babies do?"

Law chuckled and lifted his arms out to the sides. "Do I look like I have much experience with babies?"

Rei watched as Marita and Ellis danced around with their baby in hand. Ellis kept tossing the baby up in the air and catching him while Marita shrieked about how close they were to the fire. Rei let out a content sigh. Ellis had reunited with Marita and his son. Everyone was safe again, for now.

"They look like quite a happy family, don't they?" Zoro observed as he relaxed by the fire.

"Yeah," Rei said.

A question came to Zoro that he just couldn't ignore. "Oy, Know It All…Do you know where babies come from?"

"Of course I do," Rei said.

Ellis's ears perked and he turned to look at Rei. "Do you really?" he asked incredulously as baby Rei gurgled happily in his arms.

Rei nodded, "You request one from the hospital and the doctor injects the baby into your womb."

Law almost cut himself with his own sword when he lurched forward to get a better look at her. "Rei-ya," he said in disbelief, "You can't possibly-"

"That's what my dad says," Rei stated as she poked the fire with a stick.

"So when Marita told you she was pregnant…" Ellis said, still unsure that he heard Rei correctly.

"She must've gone to the hospital before we left," Rei answered.

"I…" Ellis was floored. The men gaped at Rei, who was oblivious to their reaction.

"Ah, Know It All," Zoro quipped, "You really do know everything."

"I'm a genius," Rei said with a nod.

"Of course you are," Zoro murmured into his bottle. He then glared at the laughing Heart Pirate, "Get a grip, Tra-guy!"

"Injection," Law gasped as he tried to compose himself, "Into the womb…"

Rei tilted her head to the side. "Is that wrong?"

"Robin will be able to explain it to you," Zoro replied and drank his booze.

"Okay…" Rei said with a confused look on her face.

 _No wonder a kiss could shock her right to the very core,_ he thought to himself. He was starting to feel sleepy so he put his bottle down and placed his hands behind his head. He stretched out his legs and started to close his eyes.

"Are you going to sleep?"

He opened his eye and glared at the Know It All with annoyance. "What does it look like?" he growled.

"Well...if you're going to sleep, I was thinking it would be a good idea..." Rei started to say but then her voice trailed off.

"That what? What do you want?" Zoro interrupted as he sat back up and swiped the bottle back to his lips, taking a deep swig. He wished she would just to get to the point so that he could just go back to sleep.

"...Can I sleep with you tonight?"

_Psshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Booosh!_

Zoro sat up, spraying the mouthful of alcohol straight into the bonfire in the process. The flames exploded sky high as it burned off the booze. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What?!"

Rei bit her lip and the vulnerable look on her face came back. "I don't want to sleep alone," she whispered softly so that only he could hear.

He grunted and then he pulled her by the waist towards him as he leaned back on the log with the Know It All resting at his side. He held her in place and she stared at him in surprise when it was clear he wasn't going to move his arm from around her. He kept his eyes forward.

Ellis instinctively tried to move towards them but then he was held back by Marita, who gave him a giggle and shook her head. "Leave them be," she whispered to him.

"If you two need a place to sleep, you can use that tree house," Baba called out and pointed to a tree behind them, "You can use that one. It's been empty for years."

"Thank you," Rei said as she struggled out of Zoro's hold and back onto her feet. She held out her hand to help Zoro up, ignoring the scowl he gave her. He took her hand and she helped pull him up but he didn't let go of it even when he was up. Rei raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she led Zoro up the branches and into the house. She could've sworn she heard Spur say to Bridia "Yep. You've definitely lost another one" as she left the bonfire.

When Zoro and Rei entered the house, they found a bed big enough for two, a rocking chair, and a dining set. Everything was made out of thick wood. The bed was covered with blankets made out of leaves and the pillows were stuffed with soft, fluffy moss. Zoro kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed with his back leaning against the wooden headboard while still clutching his bottle, which was now half full.

"You can take the bed," Rei said. She took off her cloak and utility belt and laid them on the table. She started to make her way to the rocking chair. "And I'll sleep in the-"

Zoro caught Rei by the wrist as she walked past the bed and he pulled her over. She face planted next to him. "Sleep here," he grunted as he drank from his bottle, "You're not gonna get any sleep in that chair."

"I can sleep anywhere," Rei said as she sat up on her knees, "Honest, I just-"

"Idiot," Zoro growled, "We're not going to Zou with you tired. We don't know what we're going to find when we get there so we'll need you alert and at your best. Now go to sleep. "

"I-"

"Shut up and sleep!" Zoro barked.

Rei blinked at him. "Why are you mad at me?"

"You're just working my last nerve, that's all," Zoro snapped, "Now lie down and go to sleep."

Rei hesitantly laid down next to him and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. When she tried to put her head on her pillow, she realized his arm was in the way. "Uh...Zoro? Do you want to move your arm?"

"No," Zoro said simply as he brought the bottle back to his lips. He stared straight ahead.

"Oh…" Rei said, uncertain what to make of this, "So should I just-"

"Put your head down and rest! Less talking, more sleeping," Zoro ordered.

Rei hesitantly put her head on his arm and then turned to her side so that her back was towards the swordsman, in attempt to give him some privacy. "Zoro?"

"What?"

"Thank you," she said.

"Tch," came Zoro's reply.

"Good night," she said.

"Ah," he grunted back.

Rei closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. Zoro didn't move his head but his eye shifted over. He noticed that her back was still rigid and her breathing was shallow.

"Oy, Know It All," he said as he put a hand on her back.

She flinched again, which made Zoro scowl. He put the bottle on the ground and grabbed her by the shoulder. He pushed her down so that she was lying flat on her back and looking straight up at him. "If you're going to be scared of people coming up from behind you, then don't turn your back on them!"

She blinked back at him. "Okay."

"Bayard's dead. He can't get back into your head," Zoro said.

Rei took a deep breath. "Logically, I know that he's gone." She squeezed her eyes shut and she pounded her heart with her fist, "But in my heart…I still feel doubt. I'm losing trust in my own mind."

Suddenly she felt Zoro's hand over her fist and her eyes flew up to stare at him.

"Then focus on me," Zoro growled. "You trust me, right?"

Rei nodded.

"Then believe me when I say that even though, it might take some time," Zoro said, "You'll lose that sense of doubt and trust your own mind again."

"How do you know?"

"Idiot," Zoro scoffed. "If anyone is going to keep their emotions in control, it would be you." He rested on his back and stared up at the ceiling. "Now go to sleep."

He felt her arms fall to the side and the hand closest to him reached out to hold a corner of his shirt between her fingers.

"I'm not going anywhere, Know It All," he grunted.

"I know…" she said softly but she didn't move her hand. She closed her eyes and tried to still her mind. She could hear Zoro's breathing and tried to focus on that. Soon his breathing turned into snores and then after awhile, Rei fell asleep as well.


	68. The Truth is Out

Rei had woken up twice in the night. Both times were not because of Zoro's Haki. She had dreamt Bayard had returned inside her head. Each time she jerked awake, it would take awhile for her to fall back asleep. She would lay there, listening to the swordsman snore, as she tried to calm her mind and convince herself everything was okay. Despite the two episodes, she felt pretty rested by the time morning came.

Zoro, on the other hand, was stewing mad when he woke up. If he had the power to resurrect people from the grave, he would bring Bayard back just to slice and dice him once more. Yes, Zoro had inflicted enough pain and torture to that bastard to make up for what he had done to the Know It All but the swordsman now felt that it wasn't enough. It was clear the Know It All was very much shaken by what he had done to her.

When he woke up, he had looked at the Know It All and the first thing she asked him was, "Am I dreaming?"

The panic in her eyes and the uncertainty on her face was something that did not belong there. That bastard had put that in her and Zoro would never stop hating him for that. Zoro had a feeling that the Know It All didn't quite understand the extent of how much Bayard had violated her and Zoro wasn't going to explain it to her. He understood the situation enough for the both of them.

What she needed the most, at the moment, was to get away from this place and to heal. What she needed the most was their nakama. If anyone would be able to make things right, it would be the crew. Hell, even that shitty cook would be able to lift her spirits. She'll be all better once Zoro got her back where she belonged.

By the time Ellis came to get them, Zoro was more than ready to leave. It took them only a couple of hours to say goodbye to the Leethe people and head towards the ship. Kio surprised them all by saying that she wanted to stay on Prasa as she had much to learn about wind. Baba was more than happy to have her.

Zoro only relaxed when the anchor was lifted and they were on their way towards Zou. He napped on the deck, while Marita played with Little Rei, Rei and Ellis discussed navigation, and Law inspected the physical conditions of the Wing Wing guy and King Godet. Ellis had agreed to take both of them back to Beffi Island for a fair trial but not before dropping off the others at Zou first.

"Oh! Rei-Rei!" Ellis suddenly exclaimed, "I almost forgot!"

He dashed into the ship's kitchen and soon came out holding a tray of little cakes. "Happy Birthday!"

Rei stared at him blankly, "My birthday passed already, Ellis…"

"Yes, I know," Ellis said as he brought the tray to her, "But I wasn't there to celebrate it with you and apparently you didn't celebrate it with anyone." He gave a pointed look at the snoring swordsman. He sighed and looked back at Rei before shoving the tray in her hands, "So happy birthday!"

Rei blinked. "I still don't quite understand…"

Ellis set a candle at the top of a chocolate cake in the center of the tray and he lit it with a match. "Just make a wish and blow on the candle," he ordered jovially.

Rei closed her eyes and made her wish.  _I wish I will achieve my dreams along with all my nakama._

"Why do you even have so many cakes?" Marita asked she held Little Rei's hands together to clap for Rei.

"Well, I figured you and Little Rei might've be hungry when I got you so I had it loaded with as much food as I could carry from the royal kitchen," Ellis said with a wink.

"How is the new cook doing anyways?" Rei asked.

Ellis smiled, "Great! The food is amazing and we no longer have to eat take out anymore!"

"What about my dad? Is he keeping busy?"

Ellis nodded, "Oh yes..He's actually been helping out on the docks on the pirate side, fixing ships and what not. I think he enjoys swapping stories of the sea with visitors."

Rei sighed with relief. "That's nice to hear."

The sound of footsteps interrupted their chat and they turned to watch Law come out of one of the rooms. "Oy, the goat head guy...He's awake," Law said casually, "If any of you want to see him."

"Godet. King Godet," Rei corrected. She turned to look at Ellis but before he could say anything, Marita stood up and handed Ellis the baby.

"I'll go," she said. "I need to speak to him."

"Marita-" Ellis started to protest.

"No, he's my father…" Marita said, "I need to get something off of my chest."

"At least let me come with you as a precaution," Rei said as she got to her feet and caught up with Marita. They walked into the room together. The old king was sitting in the dark and tied back to back with the Wing Wing Fruit user. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Marita.

"You," he hissed, "You are-"

"Shut up," Marita said tersely, "You will listen while I talk."

"You are no daughter of mine," he seethed.

"And you are no father of mine," she spat out, "When we return to Beffi, I will marry Ellis and be part of his family. You are a stranger to me. My son will have nothing to do with you and I will make sure he knows nothing about you or the rest of your family. Once we step foot on Beffi, you'll be put into the custody of King Tannenbay and I will never speak of you again. And I swear on all that is good and pure in this world that if you even think about laying a hand on Ellis, my son, or even Beffi Island, I will make your time with Bayard look like a pleasure cruise."

"I-" he started to say but Rei went over and kicked him solidly across the mouth.

"You've done enough," Rei said coolly and she looked over at Marita, "And we're done as well."

Marita nodded and they left the room.

"That speech," Rei said, closing the door behind them, "Was surprisingly strong. I didn't know you had it in you."

Marita looked at a concerned Ellis holding their baby. "I have a family to protect." The princess turned and gave Rei a warm hug. "Thank you," she whispered, "You have done so much for Ellis and me. I don't know if I could ever repay you."

Rei stepped away from the hug and she had a thoughtful look on her face. "Actually...There is something you can do…But we'll need to do it in private."

Marita nodded earnestly. "En! Just let me know what!"

Rei grabbed her hand. "Ellis, man the steering wheel. We'll be right back," she ordered as she marched into the kitchen, pulling Marita behind her, "Law, make sure we're going the right way to Zou."

"Oy, Rei-ya, don't order me around! I am not-" Law barked as the door swung shut.

"What is that you need?" Marita asked as they stood in the empty kitchen that was nothing compared to Sanji's.

"I need you to force me to tell the truth," Rei stated.

"What?"

"Baba…" Rei explained, "She said the answers were in me and that I was running away from the truth...so maybe with the help of your power. I can uncover the truth."

"The truth about what?" Marita asked, thoroughly confused.

Rei pulled out her notebook and started to write furiously down on it. She handed Marita the notebook. "Ask me these questions once you put your truth bubble on me...and promise me you'll speak of this to no one."

Marita nodded, "Your secret will be safe with me." She framed her fingers and directed it at Rei, "Truth Truth...Truth Bubble!"

The bubble encased Rei and then popped.

"Okay," Rei said, "Ask me the questions."

Marita held up the notebook. "Did Haki have anything to do with the kiss at Dressrosa?" She blinked and then reread the question. "Wait! Who kissed you?!"

"No, Haki had nothing to do with it and it was Zoro. Zoro kissed me," Rei blurted out. She sighed and looked at Marita with pleading eyes, "Please just stick to the questions in the book."

Marita giggled as she turned back to the notebook, "Okay. Okay. Would you have reacted differently," she repeated, "If Zoro had approached you like Law did?...Wait! What did Law do?"

"Yes, I would have," Rei said, "And Law came up really close and told me I was pretty. He said he wanted to show me how a girl would react to a guy when she didn't like him."

She sucked in a sharp breath and looked sternly at Marita. "Just stick to the book, please."

Marita couldn't control herself and she laughed even harder. "Okay, okay! Last question...How do you feel about Zoro?"

"I love him," Rei said and then she gasped at the same time as Marita. Rei clasped both her hands over her mouth and her eyes grew as big as dinner plates.

"Rei!" Marita squealed, "Oh my god! You love him?!"

Rei couldn't help herself and she dropped her hands from her mouth. "Yes, I do but I don't want to marry him because we're pirates and that doesn't seem it would be a socially acceptable thing to do," she babbled. Her hands flew over her mouth again and her face went pale.

"Marita," she muffled through her fingers, "Please make it stop. Please take it back."

Marita grinned and she snapped her fingers. "It's done. You're not forced to say anything now."

Rei moved her hands to the sides of her face. "I love him?" Rei whispered to herself in disbelief, "What?!"

Marita's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You need to tell him."

"Why?" Rei was horrified by the thought. "There is no room for love on a pirate ship. We're supposed to be crewmates. Nakama…If I tell him, he'll think I'm strange and crazy."

"I doubt that," Marita said as she tapped her finger to her chin, "He's very protective of you, you know that? Last night at the camp fire, he kept his eye on you the whole night."

"Of course," Rei said, "I'm his nakama. He'd do the same for the rest of the crew."

"Rei…"

"Yah?"

"Don't make me put the truth bubble on you again," Marita teased, "You can't deny it. The man also has feelings for you too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kissed you."

Rei looked curiously back at Marita, "Does a kiss always mean love?"

"Not always," Marita admitted, "It depends on the person...So what's he like? Is he the type to love any woman?"

"I don't know," Rei said, "I've never really paid attention to that. I don't even know what to look for even if I wanted to know."

Marita put her hands on her hips. "He's kinda cocky, if you ask me. He's probably the type to steal kisses from girls and then tells them 'You're welcome!' afterwards."

Rei had no clue what Marita was talking about and it showed on her face. Marita put her hands on her hips. "Maybe...if someone else explained it to you...since I don't know him that well...Are there are any women in your crew?"

Rei nodded. "I'll ask Robin and Nami when I get back. They've been around him longer...They would have a better sense of his character."

Marita smiled. "Sounds like a logical plan."

"Yes, it does," Rei said and she got up to her feet. "You will speak of this to no one. Not even Ellis."

Marita crossed her heart. "I give you my word."

Rei nodded and then left the kitchen. When she opened the door, she saw that Zoro was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and a big scowl on his face. Rei's whole body went stiff. "Hi...Zoro…" she said awkwardly.

"Don't 'Hi, Zoro,' me, Know It All!" he snapped, "Took your damn time in there. I was hungry and wanted to get something to eat but I was told by THEM..." He pointed back at Law and Ellis and glared at them before turning back to Rei, "That I had to wait until you two came out for me to go in. What are you doing in there, anyways? I know you can't cook so it can't possibly be food related."

He then stopped and stared at her curiously. Was it his imagination or was the Know It All sweating a little? "Know It All?" he asked, his eyes narrowing, "What's going on?"

"Nothing! Just girl stuff!" Marita swooped in and pushed Rei out of the door to let Zoro in, "Nothing you men need to worry about. I just had a couple of problems that needed solving and Rei was perfect for the job."

Zoro scoffed as he made his way into the kitchen, "Tch. What do you know about girl stuff, Know It All?"

"More than you think," Marita stated as she led Rei away from the swordsman. "Relax or else people will think something is wrong," she hissed at Rei when they made their way across the deck.

"But something  _is_ wrong," Rei whispered back, "I'm in...love?"

She sounded so appalled by the idea that Marita couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ellis called from the steering wheel, while a Little Rei held himself up by gripping tightly to his father's leg.

"Nothing!" Marita and Rei shouted back at the same time. Marita's tone was light hearted while Rei's was much more frantic.

Marita sighed and placed both her hands on Rei's shoulders. "Rei, you need to calm down. It's not as big of a deal as you think it is." She popped her head up and shouted over to Ellis, "Ellis?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you!"

Ellis was taken aback for a second but then he smiled. "I love you too!"

"See? Easy," Marita said with a firm nod.

"Of course it's easy when you know he's going to say it back," Rei pointed out.

"Oy, Know It All," Zoro called out as he burst through the kitchen door eating a rather large sandwich, "Ellis said that they were in the middle of celebrating your birthday. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I didn't want to wake you," Rei replied, "It didn't seem like you got much sleep last night because of me-"

"Because he loooves you too," Marita teased under her breath so only Rei could hear.

Rei stopped short and her face turned bright red.

Zoro narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just the sun!" Marita lied, pretending to fan Rei with her hand, "It's pretty hot out today, isn't it?"

Law walked over immediately and put his hand over Rei's forehead, "You do seem pretty warm, Rei-ya. Do you want to go lie down?"

"No!" Rei quickly replied and pushed Law and Marita away. She backed away from them frantically, "No. I'm fine. I just-"

"Watch out!" Marita cried.

_Splash!_

She didn't realize how close she was to the railing and she fell backwards over the top, plunging straight into the sea.

"Rei-ya!"

"Know It All!"

"I'm fine!" Rei gasped as she resurfaced. The salty sea water dripped down the side of her face and stung some of the open cuts around her body. Zoro threw down a life preserver to her and helped pull her back on the ship.

"Idiot! What is the matter with you?" Zoro yelled as soon as she climbed onto the deck.

"Rei-ya, you are acting very odd, even for you," Law observed as he leaned his back against the railing, "Are you experiencing some repercussions from Bayard's mental takeover?"

"Why don't you go take a shower?" Ellis suggested from the steering wheel, "Get out of those wet clothes so you don't catch a cold. There's some clothes in my room that you can wear."

"Ah," Rei said with a nod as she sludged her away across the deck. Her face was still red but this time it was due to her humiliation over her clumsy fall.

When she got out of the shower, she was surprised to see Zoro waiting for her in Ellis' room. She had changed in the bathroom and had chosen to wear an oversized ruffled men's shirt that was cinched at the waist by her utility belt, with black trouser pants underneath. She had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She let her hair loose, not even bothering to tie it up.

"Did you change your bandages?" Zoro asked as he frowned at her outfit. He was sitting on the edge of Ellis' bed with his elbows leaning against his knees.

Rei nodded. "My wounds from Dressrosa are getting a lot better now..."

"What about the wounds from me?"

"From you?" Rei was taken aback.

"Yeah. I cut you pretty deep with my swords back on that bastard's ship," Zoro said, "You were coming at me and I-"

"You had to do what was needed," Rei finished for him, "I understand."

"I knew you would. When knocking you out with the back of my blade didn't work, I tried cutting you. When that didn't work, I-"

"Kissed me…" Rei said softly, "I remember that part...But why?"

"I had a feeling it was going to shock you awake."

"So you did it to try to shock me?"

"I did it to try to save you," Zoro corrected.

"And..on the plateau...was that supposed to save me from something too?" Rei asked, not meeting his gaze.

Zoro sat up and squinted at her. "I thought you said that was all because of Haki."

"I know what I said," Rei replied. She stared at the wall and not at the swordsman, "But now I want to know what you think of it…"

Suddenly, he was standing in front of her. His fingers came under her chin to turn her towards him. He was gearing to kiss her again but when his skin touched hers, she flinched and instinctively jerked away. The look of fear and panic glinted across her face before her usual solemn expression took over. Zoro dropped his hand and clenched his fists.

"I did it because I felt like it," he said gruffly as he stepped back to give her some space.  _She's not ready to be touched anytime soon...Damn that bastard._

"Oh," Rei said and she clasped her hands behind her back. She was deep in thought for a moment and then she asked something that Zoro never thought the Know It All would ask, "Can you kiss me again?"

"Huh? Why?"

Rei took a deep breath. "When Bayard…" she brought one of her hands to her head and pointed at her brain, "When he was in there...he kissed me...well my Id...and it was..." Her voice drifted off and she bit her lip.

His hand was on her chin again and this time he pushed her head up with more conviction so that she had no choice but to look at him. "What else did he do?" Zoro demanded.

"Nothing else...Just a kiss," Rei said, "But it wasn't like yours. It wasn't...nice." She took another deep breath, "When I fall asleep, I can remember his kiss…"

Zoro could feel frustration and rage build up inside of him but he ignored it, for the sake of the Know It All.

Rei was very nervous. "I don't want to remember that...I'd rather...remember yours."

Her hands came up and clasped Zoro's hand between hers. "I don't want to be afraid of him. I don't want to be afraid at all. So please...kiss me again."

Zoro slowly looped his arm around the small of her back and he gently pulled her forward. Her hands pressed up against his chest and she inhaled sharply. "It's okay," he grunted under his breath, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know," she whispered as she hesitantly adjusted her weight to the balls of her feet. She closed her eyes as her lips met his. He kissed her much more softly then he had before. He didn't want to scare her and he didn't want to do anything to make her uncomfortable.  _Baby steps, Zoro,_ he thought to himself. His touch was delicate and when she moved away from him, he smoothly released her from his hold.

Her eyes opened and she smiled softly. "Thank you. That was nice."

He smirked, "You're welcome."


	69. An Elephant and a Dragon

They had sailed for three days and three nights before they were informed by Ellis that they were approaching their destination. Every night, Rei slept on the deck at Zoro's side while pinching a small corner of his clothes between her fingers. Every night, she woke up at least twice in a cold sweat. Zoro, of course, was not thrilled by it but he was willing to be patient. However, his patience was wearing down not just from her unrest but also due to the fact that she was so guarded around him now. He didn't know if it was from the repercussions of Bayard's mental invasion or if it was something else. He just knew that she seemed extra careful around him. More so than around Law, Ellis, and even Marita and the baby.

Was there something about him that scared the Know It All? If so, why the hell wouldn't she couldn't just tell him what the problem was?

If this was normal circumstances, Zoro would've voiced his concerns a long time ago and demand an answer but since there was no telling what kind of situation they would walk into when they arrived at Zou, he needed the Know It All as calm and rational as she could be. After all, the last thing they need was for them to be in an argument while being ambushed by Kaido or who knows what else.

That final morning, the entire ship woke up to find themselves sailing in a heavily dense fog with Ellis at the helm and Law staring sternly into nothing over the front of the ship with the remnants of his vivre card floating in his hand. They could see the silhouette of something large off in the distance that resembled a mountain and it may be due to the fog playing tricks on him, but Zoro could've sworn the mountain was moving.

He put a hand to his swords and he looked over at Rei, who stood next to Marita and the baby. "Oy, Know It All...do you see what I see? That mountain..."

Rei crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at the fog. "Ah," she said, "It's moving."

"I've heard," Law said calmly from his spot and without turning away from their destination, "That Zou blocks out invaders with dense fog and an adverse current."

"There are headwinds too," Ellis added, "So we better roll up the sails and row the rest of the way over."

Immediately, Rei and Zoro climbed up the rope ladders to furl the sails while Ellis went to get the oars in place. With a baby in one hand and Law's vivre card in the other, Marita took over the navigation of the ship as the other four rowed the small caravel towards the moving target.

"Oy...so what is this place we're going to, Law?" Zoro asked, "And why is your crew waiting for you there?"

"Zou is the name of a place that flourishes on the back of a massive elephant," Law said.

"It...what?!" Zoro released his oar out of surprise but Rei dutifully put in more strength to keep the ship moving. Her readiness to pick up his load did not go unnoticed and he raised an eyebrow at her, "Why are you not surprised by this?"

He then looked over at Ellis who was also steadily doing his job.

"Why are  _none_  of you surprised by this?" Zoro demanded.

Ellis shrugged. "We're from the New World. We hear these kinds of stories all the time."

"So you knew Zou wasn't an actual island?" Zoro asked accusingly at Rei, "How come you didn't tell us?"

"You never asked," Rei said, "Zou is considered a Phantom Island since it's constantly moving and never at the same location. Many people think of it as a mythical island that doesn't exist since you can't get there through normal means. A Log Pose wouldn't work. You would have to know someone or have been on the island yourself to know how to get there."

"So you've been there before?" Zoro asked Law.

Law shook his head. "No."

"But someone on your crew has," Rei concluded for him, "That's why you are using a Vivre Card to track a person, rather than a Log Pose."

Ellis tilted his head and frowned. "I've heard stories that the inhabitants of Zou are not too keen on humans."

"Ah, it's the Mink Tribe," Law said, "They hold off humans and people say the history of their country goes back a thousand years."

"A thousand years?! Does that mean this elephant has been alive for a thousand years?!" Zoro asked.

"No one knows for sure," Rei said, "That's why Zou is considered mythical."

Zoro's brows furrowed as he sat back down and helped Rei row their oar. This entire conversation happened without any eye contact from the Know It All. Ellis, Law, and even Marita had turned to look at him at some point in his questioning but not Rei. Not even once.  _What the hell is going on with her?_

"I see two ships!"

Marita's announcement took precedence and everyone gave her their full attention. "One is attached to the back of Zou and the other one is approaching it."

"Could it be Luf-" Rei started to ask.

"AHHHHH! IT'S ZORO-SENPAI AND REI-SAMA!"

Both Zoro and Law seemed conflicted to hear the sound of Bartolomeo's voice as they pulled up next to the Going Luffy-Senpai and spotted Luffy, Franky, Robin, and Usopp waving at them from the side of the ship while everyone else was busy trying to row their boat alongside the Thousand Sunny and gawk at Zoro and Rei simultaneously.

"Oyyyy! Zoro! Rei! Tra-guy!" Luffy called out, "You made it just in time!"

Rei looked up at her captain and she frowned. "How are you just arriving, Luffy? We should've been behind you by at least two days…"

"The navigation on this ship is super not great," Franky said as he lifted up his sunglasses to get a better look at their ship, "Ooh! Is that the prince bro from your home?"

"Oh yeah! Ellis! Hey! What are you doing here?" Luffy asked and Usopp smacked him in the back of the head.

"You idiot. You forgot why Rei and Zoro left in the first place, didn't you?" Usopp scolded.

Kin'emon and Kanjuro appeared over the side of the ship and Ellis jumped to his feet.

"Samurais? You guys met samurais?!" he shouted.

"Who is that with you, Dragon Rider?" Kin'emon demanded.

"This is Prince Ellis, son of King Tannenbay of Beffi Island!" Rei replied.

"B-B-Beffi Island?!" Kanjuro stammered and Kin'emon's jaw dropped.

"Dragon Rider, you never told us you were from Beffi Island!"

"You never asked," Rei said with a shrug.

"Shishishishi. Everyone's together!" Luffy cheered and then pointed over at their destination, "Look! Did you guys see? It's an elephant. An actual elephant!"

"What about the Sunny?" Zoro snapped back, "Is Nami and them on the ship?"

"Oh yeah," Luffy said and turned to the other side of the ship, "Sanji! Nami! We're here!"

There was a brief moment of silence before Luffy launched himself to the Thousand Sunny. "Guys!" he shouted from the lawn deck but again he was met with silence, "I guess no one is here!"

"They must've gone to Zou already," Rei said and Law nodded in agreement.

"Room…" he started to say as he created a sphere big enough to encase all three ships.

"Ah! Wait!" Rei said as she hurriedly gave a quick nod to Ellis and Marita, "Thank you for everything. Please tell my father and King Tannenbay that-"

"Shambles!"

With a pop, Rei, Zoro, and Law found themselves on the deck of the Thousand Sunny just as Franky, Robin, Usopp, and the two samurais came running over to them using a stairway Bartolomeo had created to link his ship with the Thousand Sunny.

"Law, I wasn't ready to leave just yet," Rei said calmly.

"You had a week with them. That's more than you originally had planned," Law replied.

"That's true," Rei replied.

"AH! Before you guys leave, please give me your divine drops!" Bartolomeo yelled as he raced over his own staircase with a crew member following behind with two sheets of paper in his hand.

"Divine drops?" Rei asked.

"He means your autograph," Usopp sighed.

"It would be a sheer pleasure if we can have them," Bartolomeo blubbered as his crew member handed Rei and Zoro each a sheet of paper and then blocked his hands with his eyes.

"Ah! Too bright. The two of them together...It's just as you said, Captain!" he moaned.

"How annoying," Zoro said as he quickly wrote "Sword" on the paper. He looked over at Rei and then he raised an eyebrow when he saw what looked like to be an essay on her paper.

"Cogan Reia, former Commander of Beffi Island. Daughter of Cogan Jeffrey and Cogan Rosa. Niece of 'Red Hair' Shanks. Tactician for Monkey D. Luffy, the King of Pirates," Usopp read as she wrote, "You don't have to write your whole life story! It's an autograph!"

"Ahhh! Thank you!" Bartolomeo wept as he took the two prized pieces of paper, "And...if you can find the time to get them from Sanji-Senpai and the others...I would greatly appreciate it!"

"We will try," Rei said with utmost sincerity and nodded her head, "And thank you for bringing everyone here."

"AH! Rei-sama thanked us!" Bartolomeo gasped, clutching his heart and steadily backing up his stairway, "This is too much. What a great day for the Barto Club!'

"What a great day to be alive!" his crewmembers chorused together as they all fell into fits of tears.

"What a noisy crew," Zoro grunted just as Kanjuro finished drawing a large rope like creature on the front deck.

"An earthworm?" Robin asked.

"Snake?" Usopp guessed.

"It has legs so it's a lizard," Rei pointed out.

"What is this?" Luffy asked.

"I still think it's a snake," Usopp said.

"Hmph!" Kanjuro huffed as he closed his eyes and held up two fingers together, "Appear! Rising Dragon!"

"Dragon?!" the Straw Hats asked incredulously as the drawing turned pink and came to life. It stretched out of the floorboards and stood up high into the sky. It opened up its mouth and let out a small, strangled voice.

"Ah! It's going to say something!" Franky said.

"Dra...Dra...Dragon!" it wheezed out.

"Some kind of pathetic creature appeared!" Usopp cried out incredulously.

Rei blinked up at it and then her hand reached out to gently bump against Zoro's for just a moment.

"You're not dreaming, Know It All," Zoro muttered under his breath without taking his eyes off of the doodle.

"Okay," Rei said back.

"I guess it's alright if we can all sit on its back and have us fly up," Usopp said with a defeated grin.

"Dra...dra...dragon!" the dragon wheezed as it leaned up against the back of elephant's leg, creating a makeshift ramp.

"All right, everyone! Sit on its back and we'll climb up!" Kanjuro ordered.

"So it can't fly?!" Usopp snapped as everyone climbed aboard with Luffy at the front, followed by Rei, Zoro, Robin, Usopp, Law, Franky, Kin'emon, and Kanjuro.

"Yosh! Let's go, Dragon!" Luffy cheered and then turned to wave at the people below, "Bye, Lomeo! Thank you for everything!"

He was answered by a long boisterous wail before Bartolomeo found the ability to form words. "Y-Y-You too! Thank you very much! Please take care on your journey!"

"You too! See ya!" Luffy yelled.

"Rei, Prince Ellis looks well," Robin commented from her seat, "And I assume the woman with the baby that came with you was his wife and son?"

She also noticed that the distance between Rei and Luffy was far greater than the distance between Rei and Zoro and that Rei kept one hand on the dragon but another hand behind her, barely touching Zoro's hand but the historian was wise enough to keep that part to herself.

"Soon to be wife," Rei corrected and turned to look at Robin, "Yes, we were able to get Ellis' family safely back."

"I'd love to hear more about it," Robin said with a smile, "Won't you tell me later?"

"Yes," Rei said and returned to looking up ahead, not catching the frown on Zoro's face.

_You look at Robin when you talk to her...so why aren't you looking at me? What's going on?_

"I can't see the top yet," Luffy said as he peered over the brim of his straw hat, "I wonder how Sanji and the others climbed this."

"Are they really up there?" Zoro asked skeptically.

"Since they had Caesar, the most efficient way would be to use his gaseous ability to float up to the top," Rei concluded, "If not, having Chopper go into Monster Point could possibly work too, depending on how fast he could climb and how much weight he could carry."

"Kin'emon, Kanjuro...Come to think of it, why do you wanna go to Zou?" Luffy asked, his mind already wandering to another topic.

"Hrm, we do owe you people a lot so we should give you an explanation," Kin'emon said, "But first, we need to feel safe."

Kanjuro nodded. 'Yes. Zou was always our destination since leaving the Land of Wano. We want to see if Momonosuke is okay and if another friend we were separated from at sea, Raizo, has arrived here safely. He's a ninja."

Everyone, except Rei and Robin, whipped their head around towards the two samurais. "N-n-n-ninja?!" Luffy gasped.

Rei slowly turned around to share a confused look with Robin.

"What just happened?" Rei asked.

"A ninja! I wanna meet him!" Luffy shouted with stars in his eyes.

"I wanna see a shuriken," Zoro grunted.

"Will he sit under a waterfall?!" Usopp gasped.

"Can he really use supernatural ninja powers?" Law asked.

"Can he disappear in an instant like they say?!" Franky added.

"What are you guys…" Robin murmured as she stifled a giggle.

"Yes, indeed!" Kin'emon said with a smile, which seemed to excite the guys

"Tell us! What kind of powers does he use?!" Luffy asked.

"Look out," Rei said as she turned to stare up at the sky.

"Yes, that's right, Dragon Rider! He has super telescopic vision using his Telescope Jutsu!" Kanjuro said with a grin as he circled his fingers and placed them in front of Kin'emon's eyes.

"Really?!" the guys shouted.

Kine'mon shrugged off his friends' hands. "Don't tell them nonsense."

"Oh so it's not true," Luffy sighed.

"No...Luffy, look out," Rei said and this time she pointed up ahead.

"Huh?"

"Luffy! Look up! Something's falling onto us," Robin warned, catching onto what Rei was saying.

An airy shriek echoed from high above. "Etetetetetete!"

Luffy looked up towards the noise. "Ete?"

"That's right! Raizo runs with a "etetetete" rhythm. He has this kind of power called Blindfold Technique!" Kanjuro cried out as he covered Kin'emon's eyes with his hands, "Guess who?!"

"Is it Kanjuro?!" Kin'meon said, getting into a playful mood, "I mean you are the only one behind me."

"Duck!" Luffy said just as a small lump in the fog came flying down towards them.

One by one, the passengers on the dragon leaned aside to avoid getting hit except for the two samurais who were too caught up in their blindfold game.

_Thwack!_

"Oh no! Those two fell!" Luffy screamed as the two samurais and the unidentified object catapulted down to the sea.

"What...what was that?!" Usopp gasped.

"I don't know…" Robin said, "But I think it was a bloody person with knives stuck all over his body."

"Eh?!"

"I think it was a small monkey," Rei said.

"Robin! You're scaring me! What made you think that?!" Usopp shrieked.

"Oy! Are you guys alright?! Kin?! Kanjuro!" Luffy shouted down.

"Luffy-dono! We're both okay!" Kin'emon's voice shouted from the bottom, too far for them to see, "Just go up without us. We'll follow behind!"

"What's he talking about? We need to go back and get them," Luffy said.

"Hey, Dragon! Let's go back down!" Zoro commanded.

"Dra...dra...dragon," their ride panted back.

"Ryunosuke, head back-" Usopp started to say.

"Dra...dra...dragon."

"Oy! Ryunosuke!" Luffy yelled.

"Dra...dra...dragon…"

The passengers fell into silence when they realized how much their ride was struggling just to finish his initial task of climbing up.

"He's...really suffering...Let's just let him keep going," Usopp murmured.

"I'm sorry but we're gonna go up ahead, Kin! See you guys later!" Luffy shouted.

"Understood!" the samurais shouted back.

"I could climb up the rest of the way myself and help lighten Ryunosuke's load," Rei offered but then Zoro's hand place firmly on her shoulder. She flinched at his touch but at this point, the swordsman was expecting it.

"Stay here," he said, "Don't belittle Ryunosuke's efforts. A man must stick to his ambition."

"But...it's a dragon…a drawing of one…" Rei said with a tilt of her head.

"Yes! Ryunosuke is trying so hard!" Usopp cheered, "Let him do it. Go Ryunosuke. You can do it!"

"You can do it!" Luffy yelled, "Let's go! The top is close at hand!"

With everyone spurring him on, the dragon started to scurry up the back of the elephant's leg with newfound fervor. Tears and sweat poured out of him as he put one pink claw in front of the other. The sun began to set and it basked the dragon in an orange and yellow glow.

"Dra...dra...dragon!" he panted with each step.

"Ryunosuke! Ryunosuke!" Luffy and Usopp chanted.

The dragon squeezed his eyes shut and plowed on through the pain. He didn't stop when his foothold was beginning to angle and he was rounding up the curve of the elephant's thighs. His eyes were still firmly closed as he pushed himself to continue on even when he was now standing flat on elephant's back. He only stopped when he felt each of his passengers leap off off of him. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that he had accomplished his mission. He had conquered his climb.

"We made it!" Luffy cheered as he and Usopp raced forward, "We're at the top!'

"Dra...dra...dragon," the dragon panted as his eyes met that of a smiling archeologist.

"Ryunosuke," Robin said with a warm smile, "I'm...I'm so proud of you."

"You did good," Rei added as she put a hand on the dragon's head just as it's tail started to break into bits of light.

Robin gasped and then her smile turned sad. "You're turning back into a drawing."

"OY! Wait! Ryunosuke!" Usopp cried out in horror when he turned back and saw the last brief moments of the proud but tired smile of their hero. He ran towards it and his sudden movement drew the attention of the captain and the cyborg, who followed the sniper.

"Ryunosuke! No! We haven't properly thanked you yet!" Luffy shouted.

"Just wait a minute!" Usopp pleaded.

"Ryunosuke!" Usopp, Luffy, and Franky cried just as the last remnants of the dragon faded into the sunlit ground, returning to its original ink form.

"Ryunosuke! Thank you!" Usopp, Luffy, and Franky yelled out into the sunset and up to the heavens, "Ryunosuke! Ryunosuke! Ryunosu-"

"How absurd," Law interuppted curtly as he leaned his nodachi against his shoulder and walked further along the elephant's back.

"It's just a bad drawing. Come on, Know It All," Zoro sighed as he grabbed Rei by the wrist and pulled her along behind him.

"Oy! Hold it right there, you bastards! Is that how you two thank him for bringing you up here?!" Usopp scolded.

"We're in unknown territory. We shouldn't be caught up in things like this," Zoro said, "We should pay attention to what's up ahead. Look!"

"Eh?"

They turned to give the swordsman full attention and that's when they noticed a large stone gate being revealed among the thinning mist. It had ornate pillars and carvings etched along the gate with the words "MOKOMO DUKEDOM" at the very top of a stone archway.

"That must be a gate into the country," Rei said softly.

"That means there is certainly a civilization on the elephant's back," Zoro grunted as he, Law, and Rei started to walk forward.

"Oh cool!" Luffy shouted and hurried to catch up with them. As they got closer to the gate, the mist cleared up even more.

"There's a watchtower but no guards," Law noticed, "It's not security befitting a country."

"Something must've happened here," Rei said in a hushed voice.

"What makes you say that?" Zoro asked.

Rei frowned and looked up at the top of the gate. "This size of a stone gate among this fog without being infested in moss and mold must mean that there has been a standard upkeep to it. People should be here...but they're not."

"Shishishishi. Let's go!" Luffy cheered as he stretched his hands to the top of the stone gate and pulled himself to the top of the watch tower. "So this is the back of the elephant! So awesome!"

"Ah! Wait for me!" Usopp yelled.

"Don't just go off on your own, Luffy!" Rei cautioned as she and Usopp raced up the steps to the watchtower to join the captain.

"Then come with me! Come on, Rei!"

Rei didn't even clear the last step before she found her captain's arms wrapped her waist. "Eh?"

"Let's goooo!" Luffy yelled as he leapt off the tower and down to the country below while pulling his tactician to his side.

"AH! Luffy, jumped down!" Usopp screeched, "But he took Rei with him!"

"Of course he would do something like that," Zoro sighed as as the rest of them steadily approached the opening of the gate.

"Oy, you okay with letting Straw Hat-ya take her like that?" Law asked, "Given her delicate state?"

"It's the first time she voluntarily left my side without prodding," Zoro said as he gazed into the unknown land they were about to intrude on, "Besides, she needs to reaffirm her grip on reality."

"And being with Straw Hat-ya will do that for her?" Law asked skeptically.

"He'll challenge her more than anyone else ever will when it comes to logic and sanity," Zoro admitted "But at the same time, no one will focus her more than Luffy in this situation. Luffy will keep her mind off of the other things. It'll make her feel normal again."

"One can only hope," Law said, not entirely as confident as the swordsman.

"Ah," was all Zoro could say back.


	70. A Good Guess

"Rei! You gotta try this!" Luffy exclaimed. He had a literal bounce in every step as he bobbed up and down what appeared to be the main street of a ruined town, "The streets are hard but soft at the same time!"

Rei broke her gaze away from the crumbling buildings and looked at her captain's excited face. She blinked and then tilted her head to the side. "That is natural given that we are on the back of an elephant. Skin is still skin, after all. However, I doubt I can achieve the same level of altitude as you, Luffy, since we do not share the same level of elasticity."

"Huh?"

"I'm not a rubber man so I can't bounce around like you," Rei said and she did a small hop to show him that it had no effect on her.

"Shishishishi. It's kinda hard for me to run in this. Is it the same for you?"

Within a blink of an eye, Rei rushed over to her captain and was practically nose to nose with him. "It is slightly difficult but not impossible," Rei observed.

"I wonder what the deal is with this town. Rei! Where do you think everyone is? Why are the buildings so run down?" Luffy voiced his every wonderment as he continued to bounce down the street, "Oy! Sanji! Nami! Chopper! Brook! Momo! Where are you guys? Oh! And the gas guy...but forget about him. It's fine. Rei! You coming?"

"Right behind you," Rei replied. She quickened her pace and trailed after her captain. There was a thickness in the air that was noticeable with faint traces of lingering gunpowder and something chemical. She didn't know whether to point it out to Luffy or not. Knowing him, he wouldn't put much thought into it. However, a small part of Rei wasn't entirely sure if she was right about the smell. It could just be in her mind.

Rei steadied herself and decided to focus on a more reliable sense. Her vision. She looked above the buildings and off into the distance to see if there was higher vantage point her and Luffy could use to get a better lay of the land.

"Luffy! Look over there!" Rei said and pointed towards the east. She didn't know if Luffy would care about faint smells of gunpowder but she had full confidence that a giant tree with the trunk shaped like a whale would definitely catch his attention. Even off in a distance, it casted a shadow over the far edge of the town and it's surrounding forest

"Ooooh! Look at that tree!" Luffy exclaimed, veering his path so that he was running straight towards it and the forest surrounding it, "I bet if we climb to the top, we'll get to see the whole elephant!"

"My thoughts exactly," Rei said and they both ran into the forest. The massiveness of the whale tree became more and more apparent as they got closer.

Luffy shot his hands upwards towards the tree and began to swing forward on the branches. "Shishishi. Sanji! Nami! Brook! Momo! Chopper! Where are you guys?!"

Suddenly, he let go and landed right in front of Rei to face her. "Hey, Rei, what do you think happened to them?"

Rei took a step back to create some distance. "Huh? Me?"

"Yah," Luffy said as he put his hands behind his head. He spun on his heels and continued forward, "Where do you think Nami and them are?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Rei sighed.

That made Luffy stop short and he frowned at her as if she had just said that vegetables were better than meat. "No, it's not."

Rei blinked. "It's not?'

"You're a lot smarter than me when it comes to these things," Luffy said as he continued on his way. Rei followed right behind him as they walked across a fallen tree.

"What things?" Rei asked.

"You know...knowing stuff," Luffy replied and waved his hand in front of him as if knowledge was visibly in the air for Rei to see.

"I don't know everything," Rei said.

"But you know enough," Luffy sniffed and started to pick at his nose, "So your guess is going to be better than mine."

"What if I'm wrong?" Rei asked quietly.

"Meh. I'm wrong all the time," Luffy grinned, "It leads to some pretty interesting stuff."

Rei couldn't help but laugh. "That's true."

"So what do you think happened to everyone?" Luffy asked.

Rei frowned and gave a sincere thought about everything she had seen and experienced thus far on the island. "I don't know about Nami and them specifically, but I think there was a recent battle on this island. A big one."

"What makes you say that?"

Rei closed her eyes as she remembered the patterns on the crumbled buildings. "There were large claw like marks that ripped through the walls and the edges were still clean. Those markings...and the way city smelled...The battle would've happened a week or two weeks ago tops."

"Wooo. What side do you think Nami and them fought on?" Luffy asked.

Rei laughed. "I honestly can say with confidence that I really don't know but I know they're alive."

"Shishishi. Me too."

Now it was Rei's turn to be curious. "How do  _you_  know, Luffy?"

"Because it's them," Luffy said with a shrug, "Isn't that how you know too?"

Rei smiled. "I was basing it on the fact that the Thousand Sunny is still attached to Zou and looked the same as when we left it. If they were dead, we would've noticed some damages or things missing on the ship or the ship itself would be gone. After all, what would an island that's already moving on the back of an elephant do with a pirate ship?"

"Look! Do you think that's a banana tree?" Luffy asked as he pulled himself up towards the top of a nearby tree. Rei lost the captain in the midst of all the leaves and she could hear the sounds of rustling and then a loud crunch, "Pttoooey! Yuck! That's bitter. Worst banana ever!"

Rei took a deep breath and then she folded her hands in front of her. "I think it's time you came back down, Luffy."

"Why?"

Rei turned on her heels and faced the large creature she had felt breathing down her neck. "Because we've got company!"

Two pairs of glaring eyes and two sets of sharp white teeth gleamed back at Rei while Luffy landed right next to her. One was an orange bull with two large horns and a green cape draped over his shoulders. The one closer to Rei was a gray gorilla with a black afro and a black suit. There were bandages all around their bodies and the gorilla even had his arm in the sling.

"How dare you trespass into the Whale Forest?!" the orange bull shouted.

"We're here looking for our nakama," Rei answered back, "They are-"

"Silence!" the gorilla yelled, "All invaders will be dealt with!"

"Well, then, if it's a fight you want," Luffy said and he bent at the knees and cracked his knuckles.

"Wait, Luffy-," Rei started to say.

"Rei, you take the monkey. I'll take the cow," Luffy said.

"I'M NOT A COW!" the bull yelled and charged forward towards Luffy, who caught him by the horns but was forced back.

"AND I'M AN APE!' the gorilla thundered, reaching over with his large hand towards the offending captain.

"Don't touch him! I'm your opponent," Rei shouted as she withdrew her chains and threw them around his wrist, "Twin Talon Grip!"

She pulled back hard and threw him away from Luffy. She released her chains and he tumbled through the forest floor.

"Gum...Gum...Bell!" Luffy roared as he reared his head while still holding onto the bullhorns and coated his forehead with Armament Haki.

"Moo Golova!" the bull shouted. Electricity started to spark in between his horns just as Luffy's head connected with him. The forest floor lighted up from the burst of electricity from the impact.

The gorilla got up to his feet and his jaw dropped when he saw the fight. "Why...why is Electro not working on him?"

"Luffy's made of rubber," Rei replied, "Electricity has no effect on him."

"Rubber?" The gorilla glared at her and then raised his fists. Electricity began to spark over his forearms. "What about you? Are you made of rubber too?"

"No," Rei admitted. She dropped her chains and then raised her fists, "I will definitely get shocked by that."

"Good!" The gorilla roared and came running at her with his fists swinging.

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

Rei leapt out of the way and with each strike, he created a dent in the ground.

"We really didn't come here to fight," Rei tried as she avoided another one of his punches.

"No excuses!" The gorilla shouted as he punched down again.

_Bam!_

Just as his fist connected with the ground, Rei appeared right behind him and grabbed onto his thick ankles.

"What the-," he gasped as Rei pulled him back so he was lying face down on the ground.

"Please just stay down," Rei said.

"Never!" the gorilla roared. He tried to kick Rei with his feet but Rei released her hold and somersaulted back.

When she landed on her feet, she heard footsteps coming from behind. She immediately turned to the side with her fists raised so that she could keep an eye on both the gorilla and whatever was coming her way.

She blinked when a polar bear and three other men appeared. They wore jumpsuits with a familiar jolly roger on them.

"Law's men," Rei sighed and turned to face the gorilla straight on.

"Th-that's d..definitely Straw Hat!" she heard one of them gasp, "So that must mean that woman is one of his nakama!"

"Stop! Stop right there!" another one shouted, "We know them!"

"Even if you do, they are still invaders!" the gorilla yelled.

"I guess we gotta stop you by force!" one of Law's men growled. He rushed past Rei, revealing himself to be just as large as the gorilla.

Within seconds, the gorilla had him by the wrist and arm and before he could blink, he was flung over the gorilla's shoulder and the man landed hard onto the ground.

"Don't get in our way!" the gorilla yelled.

"Ah! Jean Bart!" Law's men gasped.

"I agree," Rei sighed as she walked towards the gorilla but this time with her palms out instead of clenched into fists, "Stay out of the way, Heart Pirates. The gorilla is my opponent."

The gorilla blinked when he saw her stance and he let out a snort. "You think you can throw me?"

"How about it?" Rei asked, "No electro. Just pure physical strength."

"What?! Are you crazy? Did you not see how easily he threw Jean Bart?" one of Law men's yelled.

"Interesting," the gorilla grinned, "Don't blame me then if I break you in half."

"Likewise," Rei said as she ran forward.

The gorilla met her halfway as he reached to grab her wrist and forearm. His eyes widened when she grabbed onto his other arm and took two steps backwards pulling him along. She then turned and trapped his bicep between her elbow and shoulder before rolling him over her hip and shoulder.

_Bam!_

"SHE THREW HIM?!" the polar bear screeched.

"Please stay down," Rei requested one more time as she knelt down next to his head.

"H-How…?" the gorilla asked, more in shock by the throw than hurt by the impact.

"I trained in the academy on Beffi Island," Rei said with a shrug, "Throwing things five times my weight was part of our third year final exam. Bonus points if I could go up to ten times my weight."

The gorilla's eyes widened.

"Er….and...did you get the bonus points?" one of Law's men asked, fully drawn into the conversation.

Rei blinked at him. "I always get the bonus points."

"AH! BB!" the bull roared from behind. HIs eyes turned red and he glared at Luffy, "Damn you, invaders!"

"Bring it on!" Luffy yelled as the bull charged forward.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, GUARDIANS!" a foreign female voice called out.

"Fluttering object! Banana!" another female shouted.

Suddenly, a red fabric came flying through the air right in between Luffy and the bull while a pile of bananas landed on the gorilla's chest.

_Kaboom!_

The bull's horns were suddenly lodged right through the red cloth and into a tree trunk.

"Eh?" Luffy turned to look at Rei for some explanation but then he frowned when he saw the gorilla sitting up and happily munching on a peeled banana, "Ew. You eat that? It's crunchy and bitter."

"You're talking about a banono," a female voice called from above, "They look like bananas but have blue spots on the peel. Those grow in the forest too."

Luffy and Rei looked up to see a dog with blonde hair riding on the back of a crocodile the size of a small ship.

"You-teia are Straw Hat Luffy, aren't you?" she asked.

Luffy nodded. "Yep and this is Rei. She's my nakama."

Rei walked over to Luffy, picking up her chains as she did so. "Pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Wanda," the dog said as she slid off the back of the crocodile and stood with one hand on her hip and the other hand holding onto a cutlass.

_Plop!_

Suddenly, a white rabbit with long limbs and cropped blonde hair landed right next to the dog.

"This is Carrot," Wanda explained.

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "There are a bunch of strange creatures in this country. It's like having a bunch of Choppers around."

"We won't do anything to you so stop resisting," Wanda said.

Luffy pointed a finger at the bull, who was still stuck to the tree, "But we didn't even do anything.  _They_  attacked us!"

"That's because you-teia invaded this forest where you mustn't enter," Wanda said as she walked over and licked the tip of Luffy's nose.

"Oy! What are you doing?!" Luffy asked as he jerked back just as Wanda did the same thing to Rei.

"To be fair," Rei said as she casually wiped her nose with the back of her hand, "There was no one to tell us we weren't allowed to enter. Nor were there any signs."

"Ah. We can explain all of that later," Wanda sighed and then looked up to the tree tops.

"Guardians!" she shouted upwards, "We'll take him out of here! Please forgive him!"

"For Wanda's sake, let's retreat! Roddy! BB!" came a dark, booming voice from above.

"Thank you, Pedro!" Wanda shouted.

"Everyone, retreat!" the voice identified as Pedro shouted.

The whole forest seemed to shake as creatures from all around them started to jump upwards through the trees and away from them.

"W-were we surrounded?!" Luffy gasped, "I didn't sense them at all! Did you, Rei?"

Rei shook her head. "Can't say that I did."

"Straw Hat! It's been a while!" the polar bear shouted as he and the rest of Law's men came running to them.

Luffy frowned and tilted his head.

"Don't tell me you don't remember us," the polar bear pouted.

Luffy's frown deepened and he looked at Rei for help.

"Law's men. I'm guessing you met them right after the War when Law took care of you," Rei said.

"Oh right! You're the talking bear from Tra-guy's crew!" Luffy shouted with a grin spreading from ear to ear.

"Tra-guy?" the polar bear said with disbelief, "No! We work under Trafalgar Law! The Heart Pirates!"

"That's what I said," Luffy said.

"No, you didn't!"

"Tra-guy is what Luffy calls your captain, Trafalgar Law," Rei explained with a small smile.

"Ooooh!" Law's men said.

"Where is our captain then? DId he come with you guys? We read in the papers that we're allies now, right?!" one of Law's men asked.

Rei nodded.

"Yayyy! Captain is here!" the Heart Pirates cheered.

"More importantly, Wanda," Rei started to say.

"What do you mean more importantly?! Nothing is more important than the captain!" the polar bear shouted.

"We came from the front gates and through the city to get here," Rei said, "What happened? Could you please explain?"

"Ah…" Wanda sighed as she sat down on an exposed tree root, "We were attacked and the city was recently ruined."

"Shishishi. I told you your guesses were better than mine," Luffy grinned at Rei.

"Yes, you were right," Rei said as shared a small smile with her captain.

"And so were you!"

Rei nodded and then she gestured towards Wanda. "Please continue."

Wanda clenched her fists and rested her elbows on her knees. "This centuries-old country's name is Mokomo Dukedom. When I trace my memory to just two weeks ago, I can see everyone's happy face. The Mokomo Dukedom was happy just half a month ago."

"Who did this? Who attacked?" Rei asked.

Wanda's head lowered. "This country...it was ruined by Jack."

"Jack?" Luffy asked as he tilted his head.

Rei frowned and folded her arms across her chest.  _Jack...one of Kaido's men...The King of Beasts attacks a country of beasts. Why?_

Before she could ponder the question any further the ground beneath them started to shake violently.

"What's going on?" Luffy asked.

"It's a Rain-Ruption! Take cover!" the polar bear shouted as he and his nakama went running deeper into the forest.

"Rain-Ruption?" Luffy asked.

Wanda and Carrot jumped back onto the crocodile and Wanda extended her hand out towards Luffy and REi. "Get on Warney! I'll take you to the Rightflank! Your friends are there!"

"Great!" Luffy shouted with relief, "So Sanji and the others are there, right?!"

Wanda's head lowered once more and Rei raised an eyebrow.

"Wanda...You said our friends are at the Rightflank," Rei said.

Wanda nodded, "That is correct."

"As in our crew members?"

Wanda nodded.

"And not the ones that Luffy and I came in with?"

Wanda nodded again.

"So what's the matter?" Rei asked.

Wanda took a deep breath. "Please get on and everything will be explained when you reunite with your nakama."

Rei shared a look of confusion with Luffy but then both of them jumped onto the back of the crocodile.

"Let's go," Luffy said solemnly.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a cross post from FanFiction.net.
> 
> It takes place right after Fishman Island and right before Punk Hazard.


End file.
